Never Give Up
by postalnori
Summary: Turn a lie into reality. If you fail, get up and try again. When you think there is no hope left, there is always someone waiting for you. Realize this and you will never be alone. Sena stretched his hand out to her. "You are not alone, Shizuka."
1. Just for a Moment

**Title: **Never Give Up**  
Genre: **Friendship/ Drama/ Romance**  
Disclaimer:** I do not own Eyeshield 21**  
Rating:** T due to swearing, adult situations, and hints of depression.

**Author's Note:** This story centers on an OC; the plot focuses on friendship and dreams. Just because two people of the opposite gender share a close bond does not mean they are in love. There is romance, but this is not specifically a love story nor is the OC paired with Sena. As you read, you will know who it is.

I will keep all canons consistent to the best of my ability. If a canon seems out of character, by all means tell me, and I will consider what you have said. The story follows the manga and utilizes certain scenes while excluding some. Time lapses are going to occur and some will be big. I will avoid making it confusing as much as possible. The story is best viewed in 3/4 layout.

* * *

_"There's only one true genius that will win the championship._

_It's just the fate of most to become losers."_

_Isn't that what you said? It's painful to dream. So, if I stop dreaming, won't I also stop hurting? But isn't a heart devoid of ambitions, passion, and willpower just as painful_? Shizuka pondered this each time she sat on the swings of that playground. She had been contemplating that same thought since the spring of last year. Swaying back and forth slowly, a rustle in the bushes startled her. Digging the heels of her cowgirl boots into the ground, her body came to a sudden halt.

No one was there.

Nothing.

She stared at her hands.

"It's cold tonight." She breathed into her hands in a futile attempt to warm them. As though to grab something, she stretched out her hand, only to feel the breeze blowing against her skin. Sighing in disappointment, she had hoped someone would just appear out of nowhere and accompany her on the swings. Anyone would suffice.

* * *

**Chapter One: Just for a Moment**

Sena watched, his pupils jumping between Mamori and Hiruma. Mamori had done the unfathomable: she stood up against Hiruma. She had even yelled his name to get his attention. What was supposed to be a celebration for defeating the Koigahama Cupids was now a whole new match of its own. The rest of the team eavesdropped from behind a stack of equipment. There were several gasps when Hiruma reached for his extortion book. Threatening to have the team disqualified from the tournament, Mamori managed to stop him.

"Let's go, Sena!" she exclaimed, taking his hand.

Ever since they were little, Mamori always protected Sena, adopting the role as his second mother. Whether the situation dealt with bullies or an empty stomach, Mamori was there to take care of everything. Sena lacked courage and confidence. He knew that, but he was also aware that someday, she would no longer have to hold onto his hand. Tentatively, he pulled away from her. That "someday" would be today.

"I will stay here, in the football club," Sena said.

Teary eyed, Kurita cheered while Mamori was unsure of his decision. It's not as though Sena had never opposed her, if you could call it that, but what motivation did he have for staying? Well, as long as there was some sort of motivation, she could somewhat accept his choice. After all, it was a rare occasion for Sena to say what he wanted. A light bulb lit up above Hiruma and he began babbling about how to decrease Sena's workload. This caught her attention.

Thinking about what Hiruma said, Mamori seemed distressed.

"It's okay, isn't it?" she mumbled.

Sena raised a curious brow. _What was okay?_

"Manager? Is there anyone else that wants the job?" Mamori queried after a while.

In the end, it was settled that she would be the manager. In other words, she was fooled into doing it. Hiruma and Kurita were more than willing to accept another member or as Hiruma put it, "another free working person". The member count now reached four. Taking the train back home, Sena sat between Mamori and Kurita, who was shaken up after being notified that they would face Oujo in the next match. Who wouldn't be after losing 99 to 0? Well, excluding Hiruma, who did not seem to be frightened by anything.

"Royal White Knights, they must've gotten stronger since last year," Kurita stammered, gripping his knees. "I wonder if we still have their plays recorded by–"

"What matters is how they play this year," said Hiruma. Leaning back, he crossed his arms in thought, his mind making secretive calculations. "Fucking manager, don't forget it's your duty to record the games."

Mamori opened her mouth to retort, but held herself back. She wore that same troubled expression from before. Quickly, she changed. "Let's work hard together, Sena!"

Sena nodded. He had almost forgotten that he was the team secretary. Scratching his head, he sighed. _How did things get like this? _Upon entering Deimon High, he had no intentions of joining a sports team and certainly not a violent sport such as football. At least Juumonji and his friends weren't bothering him anymore. Looking out the window as the train passed through a station, his eyes landed on a girl standing alone on the platform. There was nothing particularly special about her that made her stand out other than the pink dress she was wearing. As the train pulled closer, he caught a vivid profile of the girl. Suddenly, she looked up, her hazel eyes meeting his gaze.

His throat went dry.

His heart thumped against his chest, the beats echoing in his ears.

The train zoomed past her, but their eye contact did not break until they were out of each other's sight. Facing forward, he swallowed. _That was weird. _Sena was mildly surprised that she had caught him looking. Accompanied by that feeling was this unidentifiable one lodged in his chest. _Am I a pervert? _Coughing, he took a water bottle from Mamori. God, he hoped he wasn't.

"Fucking shrimp, are you listening?" Hiruma muttered, directing a pistol at him.

Letting out a shriek, Sena eyed the gun carefully. The instant he pulled the trigger, Mamori blocked the bullet with her purse. This resulted in another one of her lectures while Hiruma ignored every word of it. The ride back home was not peaceful to say the least. Everyone went home after a brief meeting in the club room. The sun was nearly done setting by the time Mamori and Sena began to walk home, shedding a golden orange hue on the city.

"I'm glad that you joined a club, but to think that you'd be in one led by Hiruma-kun...If he does anything, tell me okay?" Mamori gripped his shoulder firmly, waiting for an answer.

Once again, Sena nodded in response. As if he could do that! Hiruma would not think twice to take his gun and shoot his ass. _Maybe I should tell Mamori-neechan and things will clear up. She has the right to know I'm Eyeshield, right?_ He lost his train of thought when, from the corner of his eye, he saw a trail of a floral patterned dress.

That unidentifiable feeling returned.

"Ah! I forgot that I needed to do something," said Sena.

"Do you want me to come with you?"

"You can go ahead without me!"

He raced off, leaving a very bewildered Mamori behind.

Back-tracking the route, Sena arrived at a crossroads. With his golden legs, how had he lost track of the girl in the dress? Fretting on which direction to take, the street lights flashed on. Deciding to go right, he suddenly heard a high pitch screeching from the left. Quietly, he went to check the source of the noise. He came across a tiny park. Looking around, he saw a girl on the swings, the very same girl from the train station. The noise from earlier was caused from the friction of the chains on the swing set. Inching forward, he stepped on a tree branch, snapping it.

The girl gasped, locking eyes with him once again.

"Um, my bad! I didn't mean to disturb you!" Sena apologized profusely, bowing ninety degrees. As he straightened his posture, he realized the girl had moved to strand right in front of him. It was now his turn to gasp and he stumbled back. The girl looked him up and down.

"You're that boy on the train," she said.

"About that, I wasn't staring on purpose! I was–"

"I am Nishihara Shizuka." The girl stretched her hand out.

"Ah...oh..."

They shook hands, their grips weak.

"I'm Kobayakawa Sena. It's nice to meet you." The introduction was rather awkward. Sena did not regret following her, but he had not expected to become acquainted with her. Not on the same day at least. _Why did I chase after her anyway? _It was out of curiosity, but he felt that there was something more to it. Perhaps it was intuition. Intuition of what though? Breathing through his nose, a flowery aroma filled his nostrils. The scent reminded him of jasmine. Studying his surroundings, no flowers were around.

"What a small world we live in, Kobayakawa-kun." Shizuka went back to the swings. Hauling herself to stand on the seat, she held onto the chains to maintain her balance. "Care to join me?"

"S-Sure." Sena made his way to the one next to her. The flowery scent grew stronger. _Is it coming from her? It would be rude to ask..._Honestly, he had no idea what he got himself into. First he got himself caught up in the football team and now this. Neither of them said a word, heightening the tension. Turning to her, she was fixated on the moon. The white light adorned her features, shedding this mystical illusion on her. The silence was broken when Sena's cell phone rang. Startled, he fumbled through his pocket. His mom had called, demanding for him to come home.

"I have to go...uh..."

"Be careful," said Shizuka.

"Uh huh, but shouldn't you get going too?"

"I live here." She pointed at a tent by the bushes. How he didn't notice it earlier was beyond him.

"HUH?" Sena's jaw dropped, his eyeballs bulging from their sockets. "B-But why?"

"That's a secret. Now, don't leave your parents waiting for too long."

Reluctantly, Sena left. He would have liked the push the subject a bit more, but felt that it may not have been his place to do so since he had just met her. She certainly struck him as an interesting person. Entering his house, he was bombarded by his mother with a serving spoon. She interrogated him, continuously demanding to know where he was. His dad had to calm her down so that Sena could go to his room. Shutting the door behind him, Sena collapsed onto his futon. _What a day. Today I played my first game and then Mamori joined the team. After that, I met..._Sena's body stiffened.

"Nishihara Shizuka, huh?"

He stared at the palm of his right hand.

His chest tightened.

That unidentifiable feeling remained.

* * *

**Author's Note: **The first couple of chapters will be ambiguous and may not be in depth.


	2. Days Go By

**Chapter Two: Days Go By**

At breakfast the next morning, Sena was relieved when his mother did not mention yesterday. It took a while for him to fall asleep last night. He had yet to decide if he enjoyed playing football even though he chose to stay on the team. He'd only experienced one match after all. Besides, it was due to impulse that caused him to speak out that time. Bringing a bowl of miso soup to his mouth, he watched as his father read the newspaper. His eyes were glued to it like a moth to a flame. Sena admired his father and wanted to work hard like him; thus, he imagined himself to be this sharp secretary working for the football club. That failed miserably.

"Dear, do you want more soup?" his mother asked.

His father rustled the newspaper and declined.

"What am I going to do with the rest?" she said.

Scratching his cheek, Sena got an idea. He had his mom put the remainder of the soup into a thermal. Going to school, he stopped by the playground. It's not that Sena necessarily wanted to see Shizuka; rather, because he had already met her and knew she was living in a tent, it was simply in his nature to care. This time, the dirty yellow tent was the first thing that popped into his sight. In order to conceal it, the tent was covered in leaves and twigs. It was lamely done, but since he hadn't seen it last night, maybe he was the lame one. Knocking against the tent, he received no reply.

"Nishihara-san? Are you there?"

He heard fumbling from inside. Shizuka unzipped the opening from inside and a blast of jasmine hit Sena in the face. It was incredibly overwhelming; he had to back up. Strands of hair dangled over her eyes and she blew them to the side. About to speak, she clapped a hand over her mouth. Checking her breath, she then greeted him.

"Good morning, Kobayakawa-kun! What brings you here?"

"I came to bring you some food in case you were hungry." He handed her the thermal and a small container of white rice. She gratefully accepted it. "I gotta go to school so..." He awkwardly turned around and started to leave. Feeling her eyes on his back, he fastened his pace. About to retrieve back into the tent, she saw Sena running back. He pulled out a packet of nori and gave it to her. "F-For you! If you wanted to season your rice!"

Silence ensued.

_So uncool..._He wanted to smack himself.

Laughing, Shizuka thanked him. "Will you come to pick everything up?"

"Yeah, but it might take a long time." He blushed. _She's laughing at me. _

"That's fine," she said. "See you later then."

Rubbing the back of his neck, he stalked off.

Shizuka smiled at his timidness.

Once Sena was gone, she went to brush her teeth. Needless to say, living in a tent wasn't easy, especially when you had to find a bathroom. Fortunately, the neighborhood was friendly so it wasn't too much of a problem. All she had to do was knock on a humble elderly woman's door, which she had been doing for a few days. However, maintaining a satisfied stomach proved more difficult than everything else. After finishing her morning routine, she ate the food Sena brought her. Pouring dried bits of seaweed onto the rice, her cell phone vibrated. Staring at the flashing screen, she disregarded it and stuffed a spoonful of rice into her mouth.

* * *

Entering the club room, Sena gawked at the sparkling interior. Mamori had transformed the club room from a heap of trash to...an actual room. Setting his bag aside, Sena went to touch the table. Not a speck of dust rubbed onto his finger. Over by the television, he spotted a small fancy shaped glass bottle. The content inside was a golden-colored liquid. About to reach for it, Mamori snatched it.

"I must have missed this," she said, storing the bottle in one of the lockers.

_Did it belong to Mamori-neechan? It didn't look like something Hiruma would own. _

"Wow! It's sparkling!" Kurita gaped. "That's amazing!" He carried a bunch of bags on him, including a double layered cake in a single hand. Forget the room. Kurita was amazing! The two helped him unpack the confectionery. There was a variety to choose from, but Mamori aimed for the cream puffs. Sipping a cup of tea, Sena had cake splattered over his face when Hiruma barged in and kicked the table. He replaced all the sweets with a paper model of a football field. As expected, Mamori and him got into another argument. It was becoming a natural occurrence.

At one point, Sena was going to tell Mamori about him being Eyeshield. Hiruma clearly told him 'no' when he shoved a gun against him. What would have happened if Sena had told her yesterday? He didn't want to imagine it any further. He made a mental note to thank Shizuka later.

Despite the bickering from before, Mamori murmured something into Hiruma's ear.

He looked serious for a second and glanced at the lockers.

Kurita did the same.

"Che." Hiruma placed his feet onto the table.

_Was it about that bottle? _Sena couldn't think of any other reason as to why Hiruma was looking at the lockers. If he was correct, it seemed everyone except him knew what that bottle was. He didn't get the opportunity to ask when Mamori lent him a football guide, which explained the rules of the game.

* * *

It was only after practice that Sena was able to see Shizuka. However, she was nowhere to be found. _Did I come too late? _There was a piece of paper taped onto the tent, the letters written in black marker. It read: "Something came up. I left the things in the tent". As stated, the containers were in the tent and so were a lot of other things. There was a blanket and a pillow, along with a pile of clothes. Coughing when he saw a bra, he took what he needed. Crawling out of the tent, he came face-to-face with a pair of boots. Peering up, he saw Shizuka.

"I came back just in time," she said, panting at the end.

"We nearly missed each other, didn't we?" Sena got onto his feet.

"Sorry, I had to meet a friend. And, the food was delicious. Thank your mother for me."

Funny. Sena never mentioned that his mother was the one who had done the cooking. Not that he intentionally hid it from her, but did he really appear to be the non-cooking type?

"Do you want me to bring you food tomorrow?" he asked.

"You don't have to. I'll manage."

_That's such a lie. _

This brought up many questions Sena wanted to ask. Such as, where did she actually live or why was she living in a tent? Once again, he felt that he had no right to ask such personal questions. Therefore, he decided to keep bringing her food until he could. For the next two weeks, Sena continued with this routine. He occasionally gave her his lunch since Mamori prepared him an extra one. After practice, he would pick up the containers, but not before chatting with her. Each day he visited Shizuka, she wore cowgirl boots and a floral patterned chiffon dress. They varied in design, but it became clear what her wardrobe consisted of.

Overall, she was friendly and sociable, but whenever he asked her a personal question, she'd distance herself from him. She had a habit of changing the subject; she was very sneaky with that. Despite that, Sena was still content to talk to her. He told her all about being part of the Devil Bats and that his secret identity was Eyeshield. She showed extreme interest in the match against Oujo.

The conversation went as followed:

"Sakuraba Haruto is the ace and he broke–" Sena began.

"Sakuraba is the ace?"

"Well, all his fans insist that he is."

She frowned. "Must be tough on him."

Sena didn't comprehend what Shizuka meant nor did he comprehend why she looked so upset.

He became even more confused when a strange thing happened the eleventh night. He was unable to visit Shizuka since he was with Raimon Tarou, a monkey-like classmate who had the potential to become a receiver for the team. Coincidentally, Raimon got kidnapped by Hiruma and was taken to the park. When Sena found them there, he noticed that the tent was gone. The following morning, the tent was back to where it was. When he asked Shizuka about this, she could not answer him. The subject was dropped and never spoken of again. Each day, the thicker the mystery around her grew and the stronger his curiosity became.

* * *

"See ya, Monta!" Sena waved goodbye to his friend. The Puff Party had been a success and all that was left was the entrance trial. Being that it was Hiruma, he probably had some insane idea stored in his head. All the more reason to get a good night's rest.

"Where do you go after practice all the time?" Monta asked. "Your house is the opposite way."

Freezing in his footsteps, Sena's mind boggled for an answer. Monta was his friend and he didn't want to lie. Besides, what harm would telling him do? It's not like his meetings with Shizuka was taboo. After much deliberation with himself, he spilled the beans.

"A girl? You sly dog, you!" Monta forced him into a headlock. "Is she cute? Well, no matter what you say, no one can beat Mamori-san!"

"It's not like that! She's my..." Sena stopped. _My what? __I've never really considered Shizuka to be cute, but thinking about it now...I guess? _He shook himself out of his 'indecent' thoughts.

"You better get going. It's not cool to keep a girl waiting," Monta advised, giving Sena an encouraging smack on the back.

"Wait, it really isn't like that!"

Monta dismissed his words with a wave of his hand. Heaving a sigh, Sena went on his way. It had been a while since he last spoke to Shizuka. He had been busy preparing for the match against the Zokugaku Chameleons scheduled on April 30th. He would have to catch her up on that. At the park, he saw Shizuka playing with a bunch of stray cats. She was feeding them packets of dried fish. Tip-toeing over as to not scare away the cats, he climbed onto the slide. A Scottish Fold nibbled on some fishes in her hands. Only after the cat was done eating did she notice Sena's presence.

"Sena!" She rushed over to him, the cats scurrying about to make way for her.

"It's been a while. Sorry that I've been busy."

"It's fine, it's fine. Hey, do you want to feed the cats?"

She poured some dried fish into his hands. Going down the slide, the cats immediately gathered around him. Crouching, he stuck his hands out. The cats ate directly from his palm, leaving a tickling sensation when they licked his hand. Inwardly chuckling, he soaked in the solitude. Going from extreme training to such a placid environment was like going from hell to heaven. Was this to say that Hiruma was a devil and Shizuka an angel? For Hiruma it was a definite yes, but to heighten Shizuka to an angel was perhaps an exaggeration.

"Where did they all come from?" he asked.

Shizuka placed a hand against her cheek. "I found them in a box by the riverbank. Someone must've abandoned them."

_How cruel. _Sena patted a dusty black cat behind the ear, making it purr. It had a white face amidst its black coat.

"Life is hard," she whispered. "If you're not strong, you get left behind." She swept a cat into her arms and wiped it clean.

Sena stared at his reflection, mirrored through the cat's orbs. _It seems like Shizuka is always hiding something. I don't understand her all that well. She never mentions her family, her friends, or school. I'm not even sure if she goes to school. _"What will you do with the cats?"

"I need to find homes for them."

Sena stared at the cat he was petting. He wanted to help Shizuka, but to be able to find seven cats a home was challenging. He certainly didn't have the time. Regardless, he did not want to give up so easily. There must be something he could do. Then an idea struck him.

"Um, why don't I take one home?"

A flicker of hope appeared in her eyes. "Are you sure? It's a lot of responsibility."

Sena gave an assertive nod. "My parents won't mind."

Shizuka's bottom lip quivered. Covering her eyes, she leaned forward slightly as if her abdomen were in pain. She gave a hollow laugh. She knew he didn't really want a pet. He merely wanted to help. _There's not a day that goes by where I don't think about how much you have done for me, Sena. _Looking up, she returned his nod.

"Then it's settled. What will you name him?"

"Mmn...Pitt?"

Shizuka ruffled his hair. "Then Pitt it is."

Afterward, Sena told Shizuka about the match against Zokugaku. He described how it was Monta's debut match. When he told her how Hiruma impersonated him in order to provoke Habashira Rui, she wore this knowing smile. That smile remained when he told her the number of cream puffs Kurita bought for the team entrance meeting.

"Do you like cream puffs?" Sena asked.

"I do, but they're not my favorite."

"Then what's your favorite food?"

Shizuka giggled. "What's with you?"

He scratched the back of his head. "I was just curious. Maybe I could treat you."

"Treat me? In that case, I like yubari melons."

Yen symbols rung in Sena's eyes. He could never afford such a fruit.

"I was kidding. I guess I don't have any preference," Shizuka said, causing him to slump.

Sena knew her well enough to know that she was lying. He could not see any legitimate reason to not answer, but he did not pester her. Perhaps she didn't want him to spend his money on her. He had already done a lot for her. When Sena went home that night, he received an earful from his mother. She allowed the cat to stay given that he would take care of it. His dad observed the two from the stairwell. He was curious as to why his son had been returning home late every night. More than that, he wondered why Sena kept taking leftovers. Since Sena was a teenager, his father did not bother him about certain things, but that did not mean he didn't care about his son. Paying Sena a visit to his room later that night, he spoke from outside the door.

"Sena, are things all right?"

"Yeah..."

"Is there anything you want to tell me?"

There was a brief pause before Sena told him no.


	3. A Bud of a Truth

**Chapter Three: A Bud of a Truth**

Through a telescope, Sena and Monta scanned the buildings illuminated by the city lights. Headlights of cars racing by appeared as white streaks. Occasionally, flashing red and blue lights would blend in. Debating on which way to turn the telescope, they bumped into each other to see who would let go first. Site seeing was a pleasant way to relax after running six hundred steps of stairs of the Tokyo Tower, along with a bowl of shaved ice. How ironic that the ice they had to carry would be used to help them in the end.

"By the way, how did the meeting go with that girl?" asked Monta.

"Good? I don't know how to describe it..."

"You don't know a lot about her, right? She might be a criminal on the run."

"Of course not—"

"Chance max!" Monta turned the telescope away from Sena so that he had full control of it. Sena called foul play on him, but his friend ignored him. Monta did bring up a valid point though. Nishihara Shizuka could be a convicted criminal or a stalker for all he knew. Sena could not imagine Shizuka to be either one, but looks could be deceiving. A perfect example would be Hiruma: a devil that fooled his prey with sweet lies and snared them with a page of his extortion book. Sneezing, Hiruma cast a glance over at Sena, who turned the other way, laughing nervously.

"What are those fucking shrimps so noisy about?" Hiruma blew a bubble. The sliding doors of the elevator door made him look back.

Mamori stepped into the room.

"Everyone seems to have gone back," she informed.

"End of trial," he declared, getting up from his office chair.

Sena checked the time. It was nearly nine o'clock. "Should I go see her?" He stopped when he sensed Hiruma looking at him again.

"You can definitely make it as long as bring enough ice cubes," said Monta.

Mounting his gun, Hiruma took his eyes off Sena. "That was the only purpose of this trial. You will survive as long as you have determination."

Determination was a key ingredient that made a mediocre player into an all-star. A lack of it won't get someone far unless they have a God-given talent. Needless to say, no one in the Devil Bats had such a gift. Just then, Yukimitsu came falling into the room. He landed on the floor with a splat; all the ice he carried had melted. If there wasn't a single ice cube left, he could not pass the trial. Hiruma watched as everyone gathered around him.

Hiruma placed an ice cube into the bucket.

"Oh! There's still one left! Fucking baldy passed!"

Mamori wanted to celebrate Yukimitsu's achievement; however, the Ha Ha Brothers didn't want to bother with such trifling things and even Sena declined the idea. Therefore, everyone headed back to Deimon Station. Even though there was no party, the team was progressing at an exceptional rate. Hiruma didn't show it, but he was the happiest out of all of them. With this many new members, the Devil Bats could reach the Christmas Bowl. Just because they passed the trial did not necessarily mean they would play though. Surveying the group as they exited the train, Hiruma's head did a three-sixty. Sena and Monta had vanished. He realized that after every practice, Sena was in a hurry to go somewhere. Not that he cared as long as Sena didn't slack off, but this daily routine of Sena's peaked his interest. Maybe he would have one of his slaves find out for him. Tapping his shotgun against his thigh, the gears in his head began to churn.

A slave would not be necessary.

_That fucking shrimp. Has he..._He slipped a fresh strip of gum into his mouth.

"Where did Sena and Monta go?" Kurita panicked.

"Who cares," said Hiruma as he swung his suitcase over his shoulder. "I'm off."

* * *

_How did it get like this? I hope she doesn't mind. _Sena and Monta were on their way to the park together. Monta had insisted on meeting Shizuka, claiming he had to make sure Sena didn't try anything dirty. Of course, this was an obvious lie. As if Sena had the backbone to do such a thing. Monta just wanted to see the girl. They stopped chattering when, from afar, they saw a dim flame.

"A fire? What if..." Without a second to spare, Sena hurried into the park. "Shizuka! Are you—"

"Sena, I'm glad you could make it! I'm baking sweet potatoes. Want one?" Shizuka held out a stick, the sweet potato stuck through the tip. The fire he'd seen was an aflame pile of leaves used for baking; it was hardly enough to be detrimental to anyone.

Monta came up from behind him.

"Something smells great...You're Nishihara!"

"And you must be Monta, the monkey boy!" she mimicked his tone.

"The one and...Mukyaaa, who's a monkey? And it's Raimon!"

Sena calmed him down and they stayed to eat. It was abnormal to eat sweet potatoes in the spring, but that didn't stop them from digging in. Shizuka explained to Monta how Sena told her all about the football team and that's why she knew his name. He told her that his name wasn't Monta, but she disregarded what he had said and addressed him as monkey boy. Sena watched as Monta spewed fire from his mouth, anger boiling up inside him. Perhaps if he stopped acting like a monkey, people would stop giving him that nickname.

They spent the rest of the time discussing the trial.

"So you have five new members? That's wonderful," said Shizuka, handing Sena another serving.

"Uh huh! With this, it'll be easier to recruit players for games," said Sena. Pealing the skin of a potato, he saw a cat run under the slide. "Did you find homes for the cats yet?"

"One of the neighboring houses took two. Four of them remain."

"I see..." Sena scrambled for something to say. "Don't give up!" He gave her the thumbs up, but received a tepid response from her.

For the remainder of the night, Shizuka was silent. Sena could not understand why. When he tried to strike another conversation with her, she would keep her eyes lowered to her lap. Luckily, Monta was there to lighten the mood. Sena thought maybe she was feeling hopeless about the cats. Yet, he sensed that there was something more to it. Gradually, his curiosity began to consume him. He needed to know more about her.

* * *

At City Eikou Stadium, the Tokyo City Finals was getting underway. It was between the Seibu Wild Gunmen and the Oujo White Knights. Most of Deimon were not aware of the skill level of the Seibu team, but one thing was certain: their cheerleaders, "The Wild Fannings", were hardcore dedicated along with gorgeous. They definitely outranked Deimon's nonexistent cheerleaders.

_Doesn't Shizuka also wear cowgirl boots? A coincidence? _Sena could not fathom the idea of Shizuka being a cheerleader, especially one of Seibu's. Then again, anyone could wear cowgirl boots. He watched as the quarterback, resting in a rocking chair, toss a sports bottle. He had to step back when another member charged past him to catch the bottle. The latter caught it with minimal effort.

"I knew it. Things are going to well," the quarterback, Kid, drawled.

When Sena saw Seibu's coach, it became blatantly obvious whose idea it was to have the cheerleaders dress in western attire.

"Tetsuma! You're our main force! Drink water aggressively!" the coach ordered.

This "steel horse" emitted steam from his nostrils and obeyed word for word, consuming every water bottle available.

The coach went over to Kid.

"Keep playing like this until the second half and victory is ours," coach snickered.

Placing his elbow onto the armrest, Kid rested his face in his hand. "When things go too well, they never end well."

"You always say that, but we win anyway!" Coach then remembered something. "I don't think I've seen _her_ around lately."

Kid appeared to be in thought. Grabbing his hat, he tugged it down to cover his eyes and slumped into his chair.

* * *

After the match, Sena paid his daily visit to Shizuka. She was cleaning out her tent; a bunch of objects lay scattered all over the ground. She was back to her cheerful self and she requested for his assistance. The kind boy that he was, he did. When she wasn't busy, he would attempt to ask; however, she would change the subject before he could finish. It wasn't until they finished organizing everything that she was unoccupied.

"I managed to find homes for all the cats! Isn't that great?" She poured him a cup of chamomile tea.

Gingerly taking it to avoid burning his fingers, he agreed. "It is! How did you do it?"

"At the hospital, a patient–" She sealed the cap onto the thermal. "More importantly, how was practice?"

"Why were you at the hospital?"

She shifted uncomfortably.

_Has she been distancing herself because..._Sena jumped to his feet. "Are you dying?"

What a way to blow things out of proportion, Shizuka held her hands up in defense. "I can assure you that I am perfectly healthy. I was tagging along with a friend and his father happened to be in the hospital."

A wave of relief washed over Sena. He may have overreacted a little. Just a little. Indulging in another serving of tea, he took a sip. That's when he remembered the reason why he came. How easy of him to get distracted. Gulping down every last drop of the tea, he slammed the cup down. She was about to offer him more until he cut her off.

"The tea was delicious, but that's not what I came here for," he said. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he mustered up every ounce of courage he possessed. Everything came flowing out of his mouth. "Shizuka, I don't understand you very well and we've known each other for a while now, but every time we talk, it doesn't seem like anything changes."

"What do you mean? We–"

"Please! Please, let me finish." Sena winced at his own voice. "Why don't you ever talk about yourself? I still don't know what you like or dislike..."

"Those things aren't important," Shizuka said. She went to wash his cup.

Sena was quick to follow her.

"You're doing it again. You're running away."

He should not have said that. The thermal dropped to her feet, spilling all over the concrete. Clutching her head, her steady breaths became exasperated intervals. _Running away? I'm not running away. I'm not! _Shizuka kept repeating this to herself. Gripping strands of her hair, she opened her mouth and let out a soundless scream. The playground suddenly felt like a cramped sandbox; everything outside of the sandbox stood tall while she stood small as this helpless person.

"Shizuka..." Sena watched with a pained expression, not having meant to have upset her. "F-Forget I asked. It doesn't matter!" His words did not soothe her. Grabbing his bag, he cast her one final glance before leaving.

Not only did Shizuka run away from his question, Sena also ran away from what could have been an answer. Perhaps seeing Shizuka so pitiful scared him from the truth. Some say that the truth is better left unknown. Only weaklings thought that though. The two of them had much to learn.

After the incident, Shizuka wouldn't leave her tent when Sena came to see her. Nevertheless, he left food for her. He wanted to give her space, but this burning desire deep in his heart made it difficult. Deciding to leave her alone, he went to visit Sakuraba in the hospital. He was able to deliver his message, give or take a few trips between the wall and the door. He learned a lot about Sakuraba in that short period: he was a burdened man, a false hero. He was the complete opposite of how the media portrayed him. Now he understood what Shizuka had meant when she said, "must be tough on him". He wondered if the two knew each other. He had asked Sakuraba, but her name didn't ring a bell to him.

* * *

Later that night when Sakuraba was eating dinner, he heard meowing. That's when he remembered the cat he had adopted. Checking under his bed, he gestured for the cat to come out. It must have hid under there when all his teammates and fans came stampeding in earlier. He picked up the cat and placed it onto the bed.

"Where did that cat come from?" Chuubou, his roommate, asked.

"A girl came in yesterday. She was trying to get people to take in these stray cats."

"What kind is it?"

"I think she said it was a Calico?" Sakuraba studied its features. _That girl...I could have sworn I've seen her somewhere. Maybe at a game?_ The cat suddenly jerked away from him and scurried under the bed. Before he could wonder why, Nurse Oka, who was shrouded in this dark aura, strolled in. Sakuraba had grown accustomed to her nature and was not, by any means, frightened.

"I sense the presence of an animal in here. Hospital policies say no animals allowed." Nurse Oka directed her eyes under Sakuraba's bed. "If I find a cat there, don't think the Devil will let you get away."

Sakuraba gawked at her. What did the Devil have to do with this? That's when it clicked. _That's right! That girl was at a practice game we had with the Devil Bats last year! How come I didn't see her this time? Wasn't she part of the team? _Crossing his arms, he shuffled through a bunch of memories. "Nishihara, was it?"


	4. Everything Will Bloom

**Author's Note: **There will be major time lapse in this chapter.

* * *

**Chapter Four: Everything Will Bloom**

For the past weeks, the Devil Bats had been assisting in the expansion of the clubroom. The construction was completed and everyone was able to explore the interior. The changing room was the more impressive addition; each person had their own one shelf...minus the Ha-Ha Brothers. Within the same week, Sena stopped visiting Shizuka. Not only did she not want to see him, he had to concentrate on his rivalry with Seijuuro Shin. He had to become stronger in order to make the lies reality, in order to reach the finals. There, he would face Shin again. However, he did pay Shizuka one last visit...

She had refused to come out from the tent, but Sena was glad to know she was still eating. He talked to her from outside.

"I'm sorry if I made you sad, but I won't apologize for asking because we're friends. Aren't friends supposed to understand each other?"

Shizuka didn't say anything.

"It's okay if you don't tell me. But, I'm going to find out myself and–"

"If you do then I'll tell you," she said from inside.

Happy that she spoke, a gleam lit up in his eyes. _So she's not angry at me. _"Take care of yourself then!"

Though she only said a few words, a response was a response. If she wanted to sever all ties with him, she would have kept quiet. Sena promised himself that he would not see her again until he discovered the truth. Not the whole truth, but a truth. Changing into his uniform, Sena put his helmet on. The marching of footsteps alarmed him and he crawled under a stool. Jumonji and his two buddies entered and began to ransack the room for the photos Hiruma kept using to blackmail them. They were interrupted when Komusubi tackled Togano. Jumonji raised a bat over his head, preparing to swing. Fortunately, his pride got the best of him when he realized how petty the situation was. Did he need two other people to defeat the little fat ass?

When Sena was about to interfere, Jumonji dropped the bat, hitting him. The trio quit the team afterward. Creeping out from under the bench, Sena had his doubts on whether they would return. Every time Hiruma wasn't around the three would slack off during training. Also, they only participated because Hiruma was extorting them with censored crotch shots. He recalled back to the Tokyo Tower trial. _Hiruma was right. Without determination, how can anyone reach the finishing line? If I keep trying to learn more about Shizuka, I should succeed, right? _

_

* * *

_The team was measuring everyone's bench press records again to prepare for the match against the Taiyou Sphinx. This was Sena's worst trait: he had zero strength. However, with all the training he had been through, he must have physically improved in arm power. He started with the lightest weight, twenty kilograms, with Monta as his spotter. Hauling the weights, his shoulders dug onto bench and his back arched. Gritting his teeth, Sena placed the weight back onto the rings.

"I did it...exactly twenty kilograms," Sena panted.

"That was forty kilograms," corrected Monta.

Mamori congratulated him. All that training had paid off. Sena was one step stronger, one step closer to meeting Shin again. He looked around the room. There was no sign of Hiruma. _Where did he go? He was here to tell us about being Japan's representatives and now..._

Jumonji, Kuroki, and Togano came limping in, their bodies covered in bruises and scratches. Those injuries were a result of challenging Banba, the main linebacker of the Taiyou Sphinx. They all lay down on separate benches. Gripping the metal bar, Jumonji thought back to those linebackers. They had called them "useless noobs". _I'll fucking show them! _Bench pressing eighty-five kilograms, he increased his record by twenty kilograms. He was going to get revenge for being humiliated. After all, the Ha-Ha Brothers hated to lose.

Hiruma strolled in. Upon seeing the trio, he smirked. _Looks like they're fired up. _He furrowed his eyebrows when Sena came over.

"I thought you wanted to check our records," Sena said.

"Do I need to watch in order to check?" Hiruma made a valid point. There was something known as paper and pen.

"Well, I was just wondering where you went."

"In the clubroom. Now stop with these pointless thoughts. What you need to focus on is tomorrow's game. Got that?" Hiruma brushed past him to talk to Kurita.

For an instance, Sena smelled a feminine scent blow in the air. He was positive that it came from Hiruma. When he sniffed the air again, it was gone. Sena went over to Hiruma and inhaled the air around him to check. Kurita and Hiruma stopped to look at Sena, who was circling around the two. The veins in Hiruma's skull pulsed and he shot at Sena's feet.

"What the hell are you doing?" he yelled.

Mamori caught Sena before he could fall on his back.

"No need to shoot," Mamori scolded Hiruma for his violent ways. Sena assured her that it was okay. It was his fault anyway.

* * *

The Tokyo Spring Semifinals were about to start. The Oujo White Knights were preparing for the great battle against the Shinryuugi Nagas. Everyone took the monorail to Enoshima Stadium after the match between Deimon and Taiyou, which had ended in a tie. The island there was splendid. The radiance of the shoreline was beautifying along with the curvy female surfers as some males took notice of. Sena and the team crossed the bridge to get to the stadium. Sena had not expected to attend a match afterward. He had planned to do some research on Shizuka at the school, but he wasn't complaining. He would be able to see Shin play.

"Slow down, Chuubou!" Sakuraba went airborn as Chuubou rolled down the bridge in his wheelchair.

The two escaped the hospital and left a note for Nurse Oka, telling her not to curse them. She disregarded their request. Sakuraba yearned to play after resting for so long. He had promised Chubou and himself that he would become stronger and he wasn't going to accomplish that by lazying around in bed. Reaching the field, Sakuraba went to change. While Chubou waited, he had a good look at the rest of the Royal White Knights. A man in a number forty jersey left him the biggest impression. That was Shin, best known for his Spear Tackle.

Shin was about to clip his helmet until he spotted Sena in the bleachers. He overheard Deimon discussing the Kongo Brothers. Those twins were one of the highlights that made this match worthwhile for the media. After all, it was due to the Kongo Brother's skills that allowed Shinryuugi Naga to win against The Golden Age. Despite all the hype, Shin was not afraid of them. Today was his opportunity to show Sena what he was made out of. It was his declaration of war.

Over on the Shinryuugi's side, Unsui was hollering into his cell phone. Agon had yet to arrive and the match was going to begin in any minute.

"You bastard, get your ass over here!"

"Mother fucker, don't shout in my ear," groaned Agon on the other line.

"Stop screwing around!"

"I heard you! Coming right over! I'm still a bit hung over though."

Unsui could hear the faint sound of a blow dryer in the background. Obviously, Agon wasn't the one drying his hair. There was only one possible conclusion Unsui could come to: Agon got in with another chick. When his teammates overheard, they became furious and also secretively jealous.

* * *

_What a bunch of trashes. _Agon had knocked out Habashira and his gang without breaking a drop of sweat. Leaving the giant heap he made, he proceeded to change out of his bloody clothes. Stuffing his shirt into his bag, he continued on his way to Enoshima Stadium. Adjusting his shades, he saw a girl in a fluttery turquoise dress with white lily patterns and boots. There was only one person he knew who matched that description. Jogging up to her, he spun her around.

"Yo, flower trash!"

A pair of shocked hazel eyes peered up at him.

"It's been a while, Agon-san," Shizuka greeted, not minding the nickname at all.

"Come to watch to game?" He wrapped an arm around her.

"I was, but I changed my mind."

"You still hanging out with _that_ trash?" He dug his thumb into her collar bone.

"Hiruma is not trash," she said.

Her friendly demeanor dropped.

Agon suddenly slammed her against a telephone booth. Wincing, she raised a hand to push him away, but he snatched her wrist. Shizuka inhaled sharply when Agon brought his face close to hers. "Not only is your body sad, so is your strength. Were you trying to do something with this hand?" He twisted her wrist, evoking an agonized yelp from her. When she didn't counter his insult, he flung her to the side. She lost her balance and fell, scraping her knee. "It's only right for trash to hang out with trash." Spitting on the ground, he walked off.

Moaning in pain, Shizuka gripped her cut up knee. What Agon had said wasn't false. Did she think she could take him on by herself? She had been exploring the Segami Bay, debating on whether or not to attend the match. She decided not to and while heading home, she had the misfortune of bumping into Agon. He certainly hadn't changed since the time she used to hang out with him. He still man handled women and called people "trash".

"Miss, you alright?"

She sat up to see who the voice belonged to. Standing before her was man in a blood stained white trench coat.

_I could say the same for you_, thought Shizuka.

* * *

The Ha-Ha Brothers were speechless when they saw their name plates on separate lockers. Hiruma had acknowledged their efforts and rewarded them. Determination truly was important in an athlete. It had the ability to turn average athletes into all-stars and the ability to unite a team. Sena smiled to himself. This is what the team needed if they wanted to reach the finals. Passing by a vacant locker, he saw a black block.

"A kick tee!" She grabbed it and explained to Monta and Sena its purpose. Kurita anxiously reached over to stop her.

The three were confused.

"Leave that tee there. Don't touch it, fucking manager," Hiruma muttered, his back facing everyone.

"You don't have to talk like that! Always being like that to everyone..." Mamori ceased her nagging when Hiruma butted in.

"It's Musashi's personal property."

Mamori fell silent and placed the tee back to where it was. "I'm sorry."

The silence was broken when, through the intercom, the Ha-Ha Brothers shouted, "What an awesome kick!"

Kurita, Monta, and Sena exchanged curious looks before dashing off to the scene. A crowd was gathered on the field as they watched a tall and lean man kick a football straight through the middle of the goal. The man brought out a comb and with a suave motion, brushed it through his hair. He could comb his sideburns too if he wanted.

"You're not Musashi..." Kurita was disappointed and interested at the same time.

Who was this elegant kicker?

"Sasaki Kotarou, kicker of the Bando Spiders. TFP success rate is one hundred percent," Hiruma read aloud from his threat book. "So, what do you want fucking sideburns?"

Kotarou placed a football onto a tee. "I heard of the thing about 'The 60-Yard Magnum' from her."

"Her?" Sena needed clarifications on that. Hiruma and Kurita appeared to know who he was referring to though. Sena kept deliberating who this "her" was. _It's not Mamori-neechan and I don't really know of any other girls. If he heard about Musashi from that girl then I should ask the girl who Musashi is? But who's the girl?_ He clutched his aching head. It was never too good to think too hard. You'd just end up hurting yourself, especially if you had half a brain like Sena.

While Monta and him went home that night, Monta suggested to look for Musashi in order to bring him back to the football team. Deimon needed a kicker if they hoped to defeat the Americans. Sena agreed to the idea. Perhaps by looking into who Musashi was, he might find out something about Shizuka along the way. That is, if anyone in Deimon knew her.

* * *

At the library, Monta and Sena were flipping through the yearbook. No student went by the name of Musashi, bringing them to the conclusion that it was a nickname. Also, Mamori had said that they had already met him. Scanning the student's profiles, Sena practically smothered his nose into the book. He pointed to a guy called Muro Satoshi. He was the one who had tripped the two when they went to see Kotarou.

"This guy's Musashi?" Sena set the yearbook onto the table. The coming breeze flipped the page and his eyes widened. There was a picture of a girl with short brown hair, who candidly resembled Shizuka. When he checked the name, it was crossed out with a black marker. He snatched the other copy from Monta and went to the same page. The student's name was crossed out in that one too.

"What's wrong?" asked Monta.

"Doesn't she look like Shizuka?"

"When you think about it, she does."

They checked every copy of the yearbook the library had and in each one, her name was crossed out. It was so frustrating; they wanted to pull their hair out.

"What are you guys doing?" Yukimitsu came over, carrying a stack of books. He dropped them on the table with a loud thud.

"Perfect timing max!" Monta shoved the yearbook into Yukimitsu's face. "Is this Nishihara Shizuka?"

Yukimitsu suddenly went stiff. Gathering the sides of his pants into his hands, he chewed on his lip.

"So it is? Do you know her?" Sena tried to get an answer out of him. His heart dropped to his stomach when he realized Yukimitsu wasn't going to speak. "This is Nishihara Shizuka, isn't it?"

Monta handed Sena another copy he had found on another shelf. Arriving at the page, the name was also crossed out, this time in red ink. The girl's picture was scribbled all over and in the self-introduction, someone wrote, "Fails at everything". On impulse, Sena tore the page from the binding and crumbled it.

"I don't get it. Why would someone write that?" Sena pressed the wrinkled paper to his chest.

"That ain't cool," Monta growled, the muscles in his face tightening. "Let's find Musashi. Maybe he knows something."

* * *

Things were not going well. Challenging the soccer team in a shoot-out was not the smartest move, especially when you had a dog and a carpenter on your team. Monta wasn't any better since he couldn't kick or throw to save his life. In fact, Cerberus proved more useful than Monta in terms of scoring. The old carpenter only volunteered to kick after finding out that if they lost, they couldn't use the field to practice anymore. Standing a few feet away from the ball, he rested both hands on his left knee.

"Come on. Kick if you dare!" Muro laughed.

Bringing his foot forward, the older man sent the ball flying into the Muro, sending him into the net. When the dust cleared up, Kotarou dropped his comb. Pointing at the old man, he shouted, "I am Sasaki Kotarou. Who are you, old geezer? What is your name?"

The old man looked back at him. "Takekura Gen. You guys might know me better by 'Musashi'."

All three had their jaws dropped.

_He's been with us this whole time! _Musashi's identity was right under Sena's nose and he was completely oblivious. In that case, maybe information on Shizuka was also in plain sight; he just didn't know. "Musashi-san! Do you know Nishihara Shizuka?"

Musashi and Kotarou both turned to Sena.

"Yes, but I don't have anything else to say," he said. "It's none of your business."

"Shizuka? She's a–" Kotarou cut himself off. "Hey, Musashi! Your Japanese national record is the 60-Yard Magnum!"

"That's all bullshit." Musashi sat down on the stone steps and lit a cigarette.

As Sena watched the two kickers go back and forth at each other, he reached into his pocket where he had put the ripped yearbook page. _So she is the girl in the picture. Even Kotarou-san knows her, but how? More importantly, why is that each time I'm about to learn something climatic, they stop mid-sentence? _

"Assholes who betray their buddies just ain't cool! See ya!" Kotarou stormed off. "I was a fool to have thought this guy's number one in the nation! Why didn't she tell me he was like this? Was she making fun of me? Wait until I see her again!" Grumbling irritably to himself, he flicked his comb open and close continuously.

Musashi took a drag out of his cigarette. _How does he know her? _

* * *

Sena and Monta went to change. Pulling on his shoelaces, Sena stumbled. Tumbling back, he rolled out of the changing room and crashed into the office. Monta went to check on him. He didn't sustain any injuries from hitting his head all thanks to the helmet. However, he did knock over some folders, scattering the paper all over the floor. They began to pick them up. Stuffing the papers into the folder, Monta saw something an object that seemed out of place. Taking it, he scrutinized the tiny rectangular glass bottle, shaking the yellow liquid inside.

"Perfume? Is it Hiruma's?" Monta queried.

Sena gasped, recognizing the bottle to be the same one that Mamori hid from him. "Can I see that? Uh, on second–"

It was already too late. Monta threw the bottle and with his poor coordination, the bottle flew to the left. Sena tugged at his hair as he watched the bottle bounce off the wall and shatter onto the floor. _What if that had been something important? _Sena would have screamed for his life until the room began to smell like jasmine.

"Man, that's strong!" Monta pinched his nose.

_Jasmine? _Sena's mind began to reel madly. Everything was coming together all at once: why Mamori hesitated about being the manager, the perfume bottle, how Shizuka knew about Sakuraba not being the ace, and the vandalism in the yearbook. Racing out the door, Monta called after him. _The reason why I kept smelling jasmine when I was with her was because she was wearing perfume, the same perfume in the clubroom. If Hiruma has it then naturally they know each other. If the bottle is in the football team's office then..._Arriving at the park, he saw Shizuka on the swings. Steadying his breathing, he took off his helmet. She tilted her head up, her hair fall over her eyes.

"Did you figure it out?"

Sena nodded.

"You were part of the Deimon Devil Bats. You were the manager," he said, "but you quit...Why?"

* * *

**Author's Note:** Sena has the situation figured out. Now it's up to Shizuka to tell him the truth. Finally, the readers can delve into the heart of the story and the plot can progress.


	5. A Fleeting Dream

**Author's Note:** This chapter takes place during the Devil Bat's first year at Deimon. This as a side story because it is a flashback, but the chapter must be read in order for you to understand Nishihara Shizuka. As you will notice later on in the series, all flashbacks will be labeled as side stories. It may be confusing since all chapters, regardless of setting, is in past tense.

* * *

**Side Story: A Fleeting Dream**

Kurita and Musashi headed for the clubroom after Hiruma made an announcement over the intercom. Sliding the door open, the scent of jasmine blasted through their nostrils. Flower petals may as well have blown into their faces. Catching some fresh air, the two walked in to see Hiruma and a girl with short light brown hair and choppy fringes. The girl was gathering broken shards of glass, remnants of a perfume bottle. That explained where the aroma came from.

"It's a flower reeking hell," Hiruma gagged, turning to face the two newcomers. "Took you guys long enough."

"Who's the girl?" Musashi asked.

"Starting today, flower girl's gonna be our manager."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Nishihara Shizuka," the girl greeted them.

Kurita eagerly shook hands with her. "Now we have four members! Do your best Shizuka-chan!" He brought her into a hug, crushing her in the process.

"Nishihara? You're not in our class," said Musashi.

Cracking her back, Shizuka went red. When it came to grades, she was mediocre in all subjects. Due to her low test scores, she was placed in a different homeroom from Hiruma. Adjusting her uniform, she did not respond. Her grades were not something worth mentioning nor did she want to talk about them. It saved her the embarrassment. Hiruma noticed her troubled stance and changed the subject.

"Fucking flower girl! Did you memorize the rules?"

"I did, most of them anyway." It had taken her three nights to fully cram all the information into her brain. Scratching her scalp, she mentally reviewed everything she read. The most troublesome part that she continued to forget was what kind of game play would occur if a football landed in front of the opponent's goal line or when a team would gain a safety. She hoped Hiruma wouldn't quiz her.

"Then hurry up. I need you to evaluate a team's play," he said.

"Work hard!" Kurita understood the overbearing pressure Hiruma put on people at times, but it was all for a good reason, a probable cause for reaching the Christmas Bowl. _I wonder if Shizuka-chan also wants to go to the Christmas Bowl. Of course she does! She wouldn't have joined if she didn't share the same dream! _

Shizuka grinned, sticking up the peace sign. "I'll do my best, even if I have to die a hundred deaths!"

Much to everyone's surprise, Hiruma postponed practice for the day. Kurita rushed off somewhere as fast as he could, returning with four boxes of cakes. He was a man of variety, getting strawberry shortcake, honey cake, a mont blanc, and a roll of chocolate sponge cake. Shizuka made coffee for everyone, taking note not to add sugar or cream into Hiruma's and Musashi's (when he told her not to). Kurita somehow created space on the table to fit everything. Hiruma and Shizuka had to share one side of the table due to the lack of space caused by scattered junk. The crammed atmosphere did not disturb this little party that allowed Musashi and Kurita to get to know Shizuka better. Without saying, the two senior members could tell she enjoyed sweets when she consumed two slices of shortcake and then one of the mont blanc. Of course, her appetite was nothing compared to Kurita's.

Not much to everyone's surprise, Hiruma started practice halfway into finishing all the cakes. As a startling initiation, he flipped the table over; with that, the Devil Bat's hit it off with their new member.

Practice ended at eight o'clock pm that night. Musashi and Kurita exchanged looks when Hiruma and Shizuka walked off together, both of them contemplating on how such a placid girl met the Commander from Hell.

"She must be special," Kurita said with a grin.

Musashi returned the grin. "Looks that way."

* * *

Hiruma walked alongside Shizuka down the dimly lit street. He watched as she matched her footsteps with his own.

"How was that for your first day of practice?" he cackled.

"Tiring, but it was nice meeting everyone. Your friends seemed really kind, like you."

"Going on about that again? Ke ke ke, you didn't say that for fucking dreads."

"Agon-san, huh? Let's not talk about him," said Shizuka. She ran in front of Hiruma, facing him with a smooth twirl. "More importantly, do you think your friends will like me?"

"That's up to you to decide. Besides, whether they hate how you stink of flowers or not, I let you onto the team so I'm the only one who can determine whether you stay or leave. Got that, fucking flower girl?"

Shizuka covered her mouth as she laughed, her shoulders going up ever so slightly. Once she settled down, she looked up at him.

"I got it."

From then on, Shizuka would meet with everyone at the club room. Regarding her question earlier, it wasn't in Kurita or Musashi's nature to not get along with others, especially someone like her. And, she certainly did not hinder anyone. However, that did not mean she ever received praises. It was a childish expectation and a self-esteem booster, but that's what Shizuka was— childish and insecure. That side of her began to show as the days went on.

"You don't look so well."

Concern was ridden all over Mamori's face.

Shizuka had dark circles under her eyes, her complexion ghastly. This was the result of examining videos of other teams all night while also keeping up with school work and house chores. She had just finished taking a test, which she thought she nailed. Sitting down on one of the steps of the staircase, she massaged her shoulders.

"I'm just tired. It's nothing anyone can't handle," Shizuka assured, leaning her head against the wall. Balancing football and school had become a challenging routine for the past two weeks. Everything was becoming frantic due to the Spring Tournament coming up, but she didn't want to give up because of a few lost hours of beauty sleep.

"Hiruma-kun isn't forcing you, is he?"

"I'm doing this because I want to."

Mamori watched as Shizuka released a long yawn. Although they weren't in the same class, they became acquainted at Kariya, a shop both of them occasionally went to. In the very beginning of the school year, they hung out there. Now with football, Mamori never saw her there again. She knew being manager would consume a lot of Shizuka's time, but she never imagined that it would take such a major toll on her. There had to be something else stressing her out.

"Do you actually enjoy being manager?"

"Didn't I tell you? I'm doing this because I want to."

"Wanting and liking are two different things, Shizuka."

With a wry smile, Shizuka stared emptily at Mamori. "I like American football."

It was the first time Mamori had seen her with such a lost expression, concealed by a smile so forced, she could have called her lie. So why hadn't she?

The next day, Shizuka got her test back. She had scored an eighty-nine. Wrinkling the sheet, she leaned her face against her arm. The grade wasn't something to complain about, but her score did not reflect the amount of effort she had put into studying. If she had known she would have gotten this score, she wouldn't have bothered staying up those extra hours. About to tear her test in half, her football guide fell out of her desk. Picking it up, a bunch of sticky notes were attached to various pages. They were self-encouraging notes she had made, telling her to keep working until the end. _That's right. Everyone's depending on me. If I give up now, everything I've done would have been a waste._

* * *

"Shizuka-chan, I bought cream puffs!" Kurita announced, rushing into the clubroom as fast his stubby legs could carry him. Hiruma and Musashi looked up from their discussion. Shizuka was at the corner table, fast asleep. Closing the door, Kurita placed all six boxes of cream puffs quietly onto the table Hiruma was occupying. Sipping his black coffee, Musashi smirked when Hiruma kicked Kurita, scolding him for putting the boxes over the formation layout they had been disputing earlier. Shizuka had fallen asleep during the conversation even after consuming a cup of joe. It was surprising that Hiruma allowed her to sleep when usually, he would shoot at her.

"Should I wake her up?" asked Kurita.

"Leave her," said Hiruma, taking his seat again.

"But the cream puffs..."

"Who gives a damn about them." Hiruma had to refrain himself from yelling.

_Even if he yelled, I don't think she would wake up. _Musashi observed Shizuka's exhausted form.

While Hiruma and Kurita practiced with Rice-kun outside, Musashi stayed behind to talk to Shizuka, who had woken up not too long ago. He brewed another serving of coffee so that she could accompany it with the cream puffs Kurita left for her. He had managed to leave her one. Pouring the dark liquid into a ceramic cup, he then set it down in front of her.

"Thanks," she said meekly. She went to take a bite of the cream puff, but stopped suddenly. Her throat suddenly became parched. Opening her mouth, she hesitated again. Despite having missed lunch, she had no appetite. Shoving the cream puff into her mouth, she coerced herself into swallowing it. Before it could reach her stomach, she nearly regurgitated it. She managed to control it and it settled in her stomach. Looking at the coffee, her bodily fluids churned. Clasping a hand over her mouth, she accidentally knocked over the cup.

Musashi finally looked over. "Are you okay?"

"Ah, just a little dizzy. I'll clean it up."

"I'll do it." His tone left no room for protest. He wiped up the mess and swept the shattered cup into a dust pan, dumping them into the trash. As Shizuka went to grab a video to analyze, he took the chance to say what was on his mind. "How did you meet Hiruma?"

"Met him one day in Shibuya."

"You guys close?"

She giggled. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You noticed it too then? That Hiruma is worried about you?"

Her hands stopped fumbling through the box. "I wouldn't be his friend if I didn't."

"And we wouldn't be your friends if we didn't notice how much you've been struggling."

"We're all struggling; we're all fighting for the Christmas Bowl. Didn't I say that I would die a thousand deaths for us?"

"You did, but it's only been two weeks. How many has it been?"

If Shizuka really had to count, she had already reached thirty. This was only preparations for the Spring Tournament. The Fall Tournament still remained. "Whether it's a hundred or a thousand, it doesn't matter to me! I have to do my best for the team." _I am not going to disappoint Hiruma! I have to do everything I can for him. _The moment she finished her thought, her stomach started to churn again. She clapped a hand to her mouth and searched for the closest trash bin.

"And what about yourself?"

Too late.

Shizuka vomited onto the floor.

Alarmed, Musashi rushed to her aide. If things couldn't get worse, Kurita came in. Realizing what had happened, he immediately freaked out. Kurita freaking out did not appease the situation at all; he just exasperated the pressure and embarrassment Shizuka was experiencing. After she finished regurgitating her snack that day, Musashi had a custodian clean up the mess. Once the situation had settled down and Shizuka had gone to shower in another building, Musashi explained to Hiruma what had happened.

"She's overexerting herself," Musashi stated.

"I thought cream puffs would cheer her up!"

Shizuka was an average person and Hiruma was aware of that during the two years he hung out with her. But unlike the others, he knew that was not what was causing her fatigue. This was the first time he had seen her push herself so hard after that _incident_. He was excited to see her so ambitious, but it turned out she had yet to move on from the past.

"I'll have her take a break," Hiruma said. "When she's better, she can come back."

"But won't the same thing happen once she comes back?" Kurita asked.

_Of course it will. It's not like she'll magically change. _Hiruma was burdened at the thought of having Shizuka leave the team permanently. He could fair without a manager, but it seemed that _incident _was bothering him a little as well. He went to find Shizuka in the swimming team's room. By then everyone else had gone home. Entering the shower room, he spotted her through the steam. She was sitting on a bench with her back slouched forward, wrapped in a towel. Her face was buried in her hands and her shoulders jerked now and then. He went to turn on a shower head before sitting next to her. He did not say a word or attempt to console her.

He simply waited for her to finish.

Shizuka took a week long break after that. She was instructed not to participate in any practices or games. Within that week, she managed to bring her grades up along with her energy. She went to Kariya with Mamori two days in a row after regaining an appetite for sweets. Football still remained on her mind though, but as manager, she did not want to disobey the captain. After the vacation, Shizuka returned to her duties. Things started off slow, but they never got hectic compared to before. She provided refreshments during training, videotaped matches, edited videos, and practiced with the team. There was nothing subtracted or added to her routine, which was strange since the start of the Spring Tournament was tomorrow.

"Flower girl!" Hiruma came into the office, throwing a camcorder towards her. "I want you to sort the video by offense."

Catching it, she nodded. "That's it?"

"Get it done by tonight."

_Why only offense? _She connected the camcorder to the laptop. It was a recorded practice match of Oujo and the Hashiratani Deers. Shizuka knew that the White Knights was a team set on defense. Why did Hiruma want offense then? She continued to ponder this as she edited everything. By the time the team returned from running, she had finished. She had also prepared them cooling bandages and water. After all, they had to be in tip top condition for the game tomorrow.

Everyone else left, leaving the four of them by themselves. Chugging a can of coffee, Hiruma proceeded to watch the edited versions of the practice match. During that, Shizuka went to clean up the training equipment outside. Folding the ladder drill, she began to think._ Something doesn't feel right. _She couldn't clarify this paranoia, but something was up. Quickly packing up the equipment, she returned to the clubroom. About to open the door, she heard tackling coming from inside. It was from the video the others were watching. What struck her as odd was that the voice belonged to Otawara, a lineman from Oujo. _I didn't edit any of the defensive plays so how come..._Shizuka didn't want to acknowledge the truth, but now that she knew, she could not disregard it. _He didn't have me sort the video by defense because he had already done it himself. _All the additional work she should have gotten was done by Hiruma. _What am I even doing here? _

* * *

In the first round of the Spring Tournament, Musashi had to leave during the middle of the game. Deimon lost since they could not score with a field kick, thus, they were unable to make a comeback. After that, Musashi stopped attending practice. Eventually, he quit the team and school altogether. Shizuka did all she could to keep everyone's spirits up even though her own was lacking. Hiruma didn't say much, but Kurita and her knew him better than that.

The four had a meeting after school one day. Hiruma tried to help Musashi's situation by offering funds to Takekura Architecture. Musashi declined it right there. He had to help his father's company. There was no other way. Hiruma accepted that and left. Kurita followed in pursuit. Musashi dug his nails into his palm, wanting to call them back, but knew he couldn't. There was nothing left. Shizuka traced her fingers along the signatures they had put on the television. They had put their dreams into those signatures, the three of them at least. Though she never told anyone, Hiruma probably knew she had no self yearning to reach the Christmas Bowl.

"I can't accept it," Shizuka uttered, facing Musashi. "Why couldn't it have been me? Deimon needs a kicker, not a manager!"

"Don't talk like that. The best thing you can do is support him while I'm gone."

"As if I can do anything special not after–"

Musashi did not deny her claims nor did he qualify them.

"What happened to doing your best?" he said. "If not for yourself then do it for the team."

Shizuka did just that. The Christmas Bowl was still possible with the Fall Tournament. She concentrated all her energy into football, this time watching her health so that Hiruma and Kurita wouldn't worry. Everything flowed smoothly; however, she was at her breaking point. The more she watched the two strive for an almost impossible dream, the more she realized that she didn't belong with them. Although she did her best to make Hiruma's dream one step closer to obtaining, she knew that her "best" would always be missing one element: her own dream. She never wanted to be the manager from the start. It's no wonder why she tired easily. She had no passion for what she was doing, no passion to drive her.

"You're quitting the team?" Mamori exclaimed.

Shizuka and her were at the clinic, waiting for the nurse.

"I'm tired of being the manager."

"Weren't things going well? Is it because of your grades? I can tutor you." Mamori went quiet when a single tear cascaded down Shizuka's cheek.

"I give up," Shizuka whispered under her breath.

Before Mamori could object, the nurse walked in. She went to talk to the nurse about Shizuka's fever.

Shizuka looked around the room, her eyes landing on a mug the nurse used to hold pens and pencils. Among them was a box cutter.

The nurse left to retrieve her purse in the faculty room.

"Geez, can't–" Mamori's words got caught in her throat when she saw Shizuka position a box cutter to her wrist. "Shizuka!" She ran over, knocking over some folders in the process. About to bring the blade across her wrist, Shizuka abruptly stopped. So did Mamori. Throwing the box cutter to the floor, it slid over to Mamori's feet. Shizuka started to laugh, twisting her body and tangling herself in the bed sheets. Her laughter turned into tears. Punching the mattress, the springs bounced back and forth. "I fail at everything! Even at _this_..." She buried her face into the pillow.

Mamori took hold of Shizuka's hands, squeezing them reassuringly. _You're wrong, Shizuka. You couldn't do it because you didn't want to. _

After that, Shizuka stopped going to school and only came for exams. The incident was kept a secret, but Mamori informed Hiruma and Kurita. They did deserve to know. A selective few of students found out and some teased her by vandalizing her section of the yearbook. When Hiruma found out, he had them keep their mouths shut and executed the jerk who messed up her self-introduction. It would be a huge issue if word got out to the whole school and it would also burden Shizuka.

Hiruma stared at the television the four had signed, promising to go to the Christmas Bowl. Shizuka had crossed her name out. Kurita was chewing on his fingernails. Shizuka's resignation came as a shock to him, but Hiruma didn't seem to be. Hiruma decided to meet up with her one more time before the summer. Kurita desperately wanted to accompany him, but Hiruma wouldn't let him. Due to football practices, Shizuka and him hadn't had a one-on-one in a while. At the playground, the two didn't say much to each other. They just watched the sunset.

"Your mind's made up?"

She sighed.

He tapped the heels of his shoes into the dirt.

She handed him her perfume bottle.

"I don't know why I'm giving this to you..."

He clasped his fingers over the bottle. "You're giving it to me so that you can take it back in the future." Hiruma was confident that she would return. Not to the team, but she would return. He wondered what she would be doing during her time away though. He'd keep a careful eye on her. Rustling her hair, his hand rested on her head. "I'll be waiting, fucking flower girl."

* * *

**Author's Note:** There's still much that has to be answered about Shizuka. I thought I should clarify on her personality as seen thus far. She's not a coward, but she is insecure. She greatly admires Hiruma; therefore, she has a strong conviction of doing her best for him even though she didn't want to be manager. With that said, a manager who doesn't dream of going to the Christmas Bowl for herself is not necessarily a bad manager. An example would be Mamori, who at first only joined to protect Sena. Gradually, she became more interested in football and wanted to go to the Christmas Bowl with everyone.


	6. Rekindle the Past

**Chapter Five: Rekindle the Past**

"How dare that midget skip practice," Hiruma muttered, entering his office. He stopped when the whiff of jasmine made his nostrils flare. Kurita and Mamori, who followed behind smelled it too. Hiruma went to find the perfume bottle, searching everywhere on his desk. Mamori called for his attention and told him that someone had dropped it and put it in the trash. He scrutinized the glass pieces at the bottom of the bin, where it accompanied a bunch of banana peels. Storming onto the field where Monta was, he aimed his machine gun at him and fired rounds. Monta shrieked and hopped from side to side to avoid them.

"Fucking monkey! Where's the shrimp?"

"Don't know. He ran off!"

Cracking his knuckles, he went to fetch Cerberus. About to break the chain with a hammer, Mamori grabbed his arm.

"Hold it! Let's ask Monta what happened," she suggested.

Kurita came over with Monta.

Gun in hand, Hiruma raised his chin. "Let's hear it then."

* * *

The squeaking sound of metal swinging back and forth reverberated throughout the playground. Shizuka had finished telling him about the time when she used to be the Devil Bat's manager. Sena's shoulders slumped. He didn't know what to say to her. It was as if all the words had been stolen from his mouth and locked away in a chest. Staring at her shadow, he noticed that it moved. Shizuka was looking up at him.

"What a terrible manager I was," she laughed at herself.

"Shizuka..." Sena reached out to touch her.

"Even though I tried so hard..." Shaking her head in disbelief, her smile faltered. Biting down on her lip, she shut her eyes and turned away from him. Pushing her legs up, she thrust herself forward. The chains of the swings rattled as she lifted herself into the air. Wincing as a ray of orange light hit his face, the next time Sena opened his eyes, all he saw was an empty swing, propelling back and forth.

_You're wrong, Shizuka. You are…_Turning around, he nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw Hiruma.

"Just as I suspected." Hiruma blew a bubble with his gum. "Fucking monkey told me."

Sena should have been filled with fear at the moment, but all his mind could focus on was Shizuka. In a way, he could relate to her. He was only playing American football for his own safety, but now he had the desire to improve his skills, to defeat Shin, and aim for the Christmas Bowl. Unfortunately, she never found her own reason for being on the team.

"That's not it, fucking shrimp," said Hiruma, as if reading his thoughts. "Now let's get goin'. You've got laps to run."

"Right...And sorry about the bottle..."

"I don't really care about it, but you can explain to flower girl how it got broken."

"But wasn't it important?"

"There's no fucking use in dwelling on the past! Now get to practice!" Drawing out his gun, bullets rained down everywhere. Covering his head, Sena dashed back to the school. Taking a quick look around, Hiruma spotted the tent. "That is fucking lame." He began to head back as well. He ceased in his footsteps when he saw Shizuka through the fence. Recovering from the brief shock, he smirked. "Oh? The flower girl returns after the shrimp's gone!" She went to pass him, but he intentionally blocked her. Moving to go around him, he got in her way again. "What? Not happy to see me?"

Folding her hands together, she stared at her feet. "No, I am."

"Same here," he cackled. "As always, you reek of flowers."

"You're the one who gave me the perfume."

He laughed harder. "And you've been wearing it since then?"

"That's because it's special."

His laughter stopped. "Isn't it time you forgot about _that_?"

"I tried, but it's still fresh in my memory," Shizuka said. She placed a hand against her temple. "My dream to be a runningback ended here on this very playground. Part of me still can't accept it. That's why I keep coming back here; I can't stop dreaming of what would have happened if the past was different."

"Then find a new dream." Hiruma seized her wrist, startling her.

"A new dream? Is it that easy to find one?"

"Never said it was easy, but with what you've been doing during your time away..."

"How do you–" Her question was answered when he showed her his extortion book. Blushing, she avoided eye contact.

* * *

Sena joined Monta in cone drills after his conversation with Mamori. She was wondering if he had seen "Sena". At first, he was confused, but then remembered he was dressed as Eyeshield. When Hiruma returned, he told her he had put "Sena" to death for skipping practice and breaking the bottle. Surprisingly, she hadn't reacted like she normally would. She simply nodded.

_Then the bottle really was important. _Sena bumped into a cone.

"What are you doing?" Monta asked.

"Nothing!" Fixing the cone, he continued with practice. As much as he worried about Shizuka, he had to move on with his life. Hindering himself would prove useless for him and everyone else. Perhaps this could set an example for Shizuka, who was trapped in the past.

Watching from afar, Hiruma munched on some pretz. _Guess I don't have to worry about the shrimp getting lazy, but he'll probably go see her again. _He didn't oppose Sena and Shizuka's relationship as long as he didn't slack off. At first, he was apprehensive about their relationship since Sena was Eyeshield and Shizuka had wanted to be the runningback for Deimon. However, she didn't seem the least bit jealous of him. If she were, she wouldn't even associate herself with Sena. _She hasn't moved on from the past, but she doesn't hate the present. That's a good sign. _Hiruma recalled the conversation he had with Unsui after the game with Oujo at Enoshima Stadium.

_"I saw Shizuka here earlier," Unsui said. "I thought she came with you, but I was mistaken." _

_"Did you now? Ke ke ke, you worried about her?" Hiruma taunted._

_Unsui crossed his arms and looked away. "As the one who found her that night and also as Agon's brother, I feel that I'm somewhat responsible." _

Shaking his head in disapproval, Hiruma crushed the pretz box, molding it into a ball. The past held captive more than one prisoner. He didn't want to be one of them.

* * *

That night in the Kongou Household, Unsui was eating dinner with his family. As usual, Agon was out somewhere, fooling around with girls. Their parents never questioned Agon's bad habit. As long as he remained the genius that he was, Agon could do whatever he wanted. Picking at his sukiyaki, he lost his appetite. He excused himself and placed his dishes into the kitchen. Taking a glimpse of the clock, it was ten o'clock pm. It was around this time that he found Shizuka in the playground three years ago. By that time, she had fallen unconscious. The fight was unfair; it was five against one. Hiruma had came to his assistance just in time.

Leaning against the counter, he gave her a call. After some ringing, she picked up.

"I didn't expect a call from you." She sounded cheerful.

"Something happened and I thought I should give a call."

"I see," she replied.

"So...how's your leg?"

Long pause.

Fidgeting his shoulders, he hoped he hadn't pushed the wrong buttons. He wasn't used to dealing with women.

"Everything is okay." With that, she hung up.

Unsui dropped his arm to his side. Everything was not okay. It was far from it. He flinched when his phone vibrated, notifying him of a picture message. Downloading it, a photo of Shizuka appeared. She held an index card that read, "Stop worrying yourself bald." He dropped the phone when Agon entered the kitchen.

"Yo, Unko-chan! Did I scare ya?" Agon got a water bottle from the fridge. Twisting off the cap, he chugged half of it down. As Unsui went to pick up his phone, Agon's eyes landed on the screen. His God Speed Impulse kicked in and he snatched it from the floor. "Still keeping contact with that flower trash?"

Unsui ignored him and motioned for his phone back.

* * *

Sena got home later than usual. To his surprise, his mother didn't scold him; rather, she was giddy about something and had quickly ushered him to his room.

_What's with her? _Strolling into his room, he saw Shizuka napping on his futon. Flinging himself against the hallway wall, his heart pounded against his chest at a rapid pace. At the bottom of the staircase, his mother signaled for him to shush. As if he could keep quiet! He rushed to her for an explanation.

"She dropped by a couple of minutes ago looking for you. She was tired so I had her take a nap until you came home. Go take a shower and I'll bring up some snacks later," she giggled. "Who knew you were so popular? First Mamori and now this young lady..."

Eyes twitching, he looked to his father, who was playing with Pitt. He didn't seem to have any objections. Sighing, Sena went to take a bath. He had no problem with having Shizuka at his house. He just prayed his mother hadn't said anything unnecessary or showed any baby photos. After soaking himself in his thoughts for ten minutes, he got out. Once he was done getting dressed in a t-shirt and sweat pants, his mother delivered a tray of tea and cake to his room. Next, he went to wake her up. Shaking her gently, he whispered her name. When she didn't stir, he shook her harder.

She woke up.

"Um, hi? Mom brought us some snacks," Sena said, scratching his head.

She blinked, sleepily. Devouring the cake, the sugar brought her to her senses.

"Sorry about dropping by without telling you."

"Well, you gave me a shock. How did you find my address?" he asked.

"From Hiruma. Did you even have to ask?"

They laughed. When it came to information networks, Hiruma was the most reliable. Digging her fork into the strawberry, she plopped it into her mouth. He handed her a napkin, pointing to the cream on her cheek. The atmosphere was warm and welcoming, definitely better than the time when they were at the park today.

"You know, there was a time when I also dreamed of the Christmas Bowl," Shizuka began, setting her fork down. "It was in my fourth year of middle school when I met Hiruma. He told me everything about football. He made it sound like so much fun. I wanted to play, but I didn't have any athletic abilities. Hiruma thought differently and he timed me on the forty-yard dash. My time was 4.7 seconds."

His heart dropped to the pit of his stomach. Sena had an awful inclination of where her story was going.

"I had the capability of becoming a runningback. I was looking forward to playing, but something happened and I fractured my leg. I couldn't run the same after that. Since I couldn't take part as an official player, Hiruma offered me the position as manager. That way, I could still go to Christmas Bowl. I accepted, but it wasn't enough." Her voice cracked. "I tried to do my best as manager, but at the same time, I couldn't accept that I went from a runningback to a manager."

_So that's why she kept getting weighed down. But, if she was going to be the runningback for Hiruma then she would have been Eyeshield, not me. _This didn't mean a manager's job was a piece of cake, but it made more sense as to why Shizuka had fallen ill. Even an average person like her could be a manager. It's harsh, but also true. "Shizuka, do you…hate me for taking your place on the team?"

"Of course not," Shizuka assured him. "Besides, you're faster than me."

"Do you still want to go _there_?"

"A little, but not as much as I used to."

Sena placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's not too late to start over. If anything, you can always find a new dream."

"How? I can't do anything."

"We're having a match against the NASA Aliens. If you watch, you'll know."

A short while after, sleep consumed them. Pillows were scattered all over the floor as if they was a pillow fight. They slept on opposite sides of the table to ensure their personal space. It had been Sena's idea to make the table the barrier. Ever since she started living in a tent, that night was the first time in a while where she felt completely safe and secure, her mind welcoming all sorts of comforting dreams. When Sena woke up the next morning, he found a folded pair of pajamas where Shizuka had originally slept.

* * *

The Devil Bats clubroom shook from the overload of laughter coming from Hiruma.

"You said that if we crush the American team, you'll come back? Interesting!" Hiruma chuckled, resting his elbow onto the table.

"Yes, I find it embarrassing," Musashi admitted.

Mamori set a cup of black coffee before him before taking her own seat on the far end. That way, the two old friends could have their space. She took a sip of coffee and immediately after, she poured a packet of sugar in. If only she had cream puffs to compliment the coffee. She raised a curious brow when Musashi mentioned that Sena and Monta reminded him of Hiruma and his meddling ways. She could not see how Sena and Monta added up to equal Hiruma. The picture didn't fit nicely in her mind.

"Go train a new kicker."

"Don't say rubbish, old man. Relax. You're coming back for sure." Hiruma bared his teeth in a cocky smirk.

"You are still acting so willfully..." Musashi smiled to himself.

Hiruma hadn't changed one bit. He was still the flashy, manipulative, and relentless guy from three years ago.

The steam emitting from the coffee masked everyone's expression. The rich aroma of coffee filled the air, dominated by the smell of jasmine. They all knew who the smell belonged to; they all looked towards the door, where Shizuka stood in the threshold. In her arms was a box of cream puffs meant for Mamori and Kurita.

Hiruma spoke first. "Oho, what a pleasant surprise. Did you come to deliver us flowers?"

"You're partially correct." Shizuka gave the box to Mamori.

Gratefully accepting them, Mamori gestured for her to sit and went to pour her a cup of coffee. She unpacked two cream puffs for Shizuka and her. Musashi raised his cup towards Shizuka, as if for a toast. She returned the gesture and indulged herself into the dark and tantalizing goodness that was black coffee. Mamori could not understand how she could handle such a bitter taste.

"Doesn't this feel like deja vu?" Musashi said, casting Hiruma a glance.

"You're speaking nonsense again." Hiruma always spoke down about living in the past. However, a part of him had yet to move on. If he had completely forgotten about the past, he would have already found a new kicker. If he had completely forgotten about the past, he wouldn't even recognize the girl, who had recently arrived. Remembering the past now and then wasn't bad, just as long as you appreciated the past for what it is and stayed in the present. "Flower girl, old man, you two coming to the seven o'clock match?"

"Sena invited me, but I'm still debating over it," Shizuka said.

"This isn't politics. You're going!"

"You're assertive as ever. By the way, I came to retrieve my perfume bottle."

Mamori choked on her dessert while Musashi picked at his ear. Apparently, Sena hadn't told her yet.

"Fucking shrimp broke it."

"I see." Shizuka giggled to herself. "Did he think I would be mad? He could have told me."

Hiruma watched as Mamori went to say something, but stopped herself. Motioning towards the door, Musashi and him got up. Once the two men left, Mamori hurried over to Shizuka and hugged her. Pulling away, but not releasing her, she showered her with tons of questions. The questions came out of her mouth as incomprehensible string of words. When Shizuka didn't reply, she hugged her again. They sat down and stuffed themselves with cream puffs, leaving none for poor Kurita.

"It's been eight months since we've eaten cream puffs together, Mamori."

"Can't believe it's been that long."

"Too long." Stirring her coffee, Shizuka watched as the steam rose into the air before dispersing.

* * *

At seven that night, the Devil Bats gathered at the stadium. Due to the full-blown advertising, a packed audience filled the bleachers. Sena scanned the audience for Shizuka. He checked five times and each time he couldn't find her. He was about to do a sixth take.

"Fucking shrimp, she's not here," Hiruma snapped.

Disappointed, he had believed she would come to watch. Hiruma grabbed Sena's chin and directed his attention towards a camera set up.

"This game is gonna be broadcast live. She can still watch."

Sena was slightly reassured. As long Shizuka had a television, she could watch. That's when he remembered; she lived in a tent. How long was she going to keep living like that anyway? He broke out of his thoughts when the NASA Aliens came onto the field. They wore ferocious and intimidating expressions, unlike the ones they had when they were drunk off sake. Sena kind of preferred their drunken versions at the moment. _I can't think like that! I need to go all-out and show Shizuka that even someone like me can do their best and turn dreams into a reality. Shizuka, are you watching? _

The matched commenced.

Musashi and Shizuka were together, watching the game through the window of a Toshiba store.

"Think they'll win?" she asked.

"We'll see."

Reflected through his eyes was a relinquished longing, a longing to fight. He could deny it all he wanted, but Shizuka wasn't convinced by his act. She understood his reasons though. Even she wanted to be there on that field with Hiruma and Kurita, but she restrained herself. Something was holding her back. It was fear. Both Sena and Hiruma said she could find a new dream, but she didn't want to start over or find a new one in fear that her dream would be crushed like last time.

Musashi noticed the uncertainty in her eyes.

"Do your best, Shizuka."


	7. I'll Be Waiting

**Chapter Six: I'll Be Waiting **

"That's right! I need to get stronger."

Sena stared up, the night sky obscured by the eyeshield. He had found a new rival: Panther. That burning sensation flared in his chest; it was determination. The match between the Devil Bats and the NASA Aliens ended with the American's victory. Although it was Deimon's lost, the team benefited from the game. The best way for a weak team to gain experience was by fighting a strong team. By gaining experience, you improve. If you improve, you become stronger. That aside, since neither team won by more than ten points...

"No more going back to America!" Hiruma cackled, tossing the American's passports into a shredder.

It would take a week before they could apply for new ones. Since the team did not need their return tickets anymore, they were free to give away. Give away to Deimon that is. After all, the deal said that they would have to leave Japan. Sena looked back at Monta and Mamori, fidgeting at the thought of suddenly leaving the country.

"Go get changed. We're heading out!"

Everyone, but Sena headed to the team room. Removing his helmet, he approached Hiruma. His posture screamed uncertainty.

Hiruma already knew what this was about. "You want to see her?"

"Want? Uh, yeah I guess...well..."

"Fucking brat, if you want to see her then go. And be quick about it!" Hiruma pointed over to the canine gnawing on his leash, warning him of the consequences if he took too long.

Nodding, Sena rushed to find Shizuka. If Lady Luck was on his side, he would find her at the playground. If not, he did not have the time to wait for her. Watching him run off the field, Hiruma slipped a stick of gum between his teeth. He had asked Shizuka earlier, if situation had it, would she come to America with him. As expected, she declined the offer. He had jokingly threatened her into coming, but she stuck with the latter. Mamori came over to him, asking where Eyeshield and Sena had disappeared off to.

* * *

Skidding to a halt at the park entrance, Sena saw Shizuka on her cell phone. She was pacing back and forth in small steps, occasionally twirling around on the tip of her toes. He could not hear what she was saying, but judging by her liveliness, she was having fun. Who was she talking to? Clearing his throat, she faced his direction. He hadn't meant to interrupt, but the clock was ticking until his departure to America. Closing her phone, she strolled over to him.

"How was the game?" she asked.

"We lost, but it was good."

"Sorry for not going."

When she was with Musashi, she had only watched the opening of the game and then left. If she had kept watching, she may have gotten the urge to return to dream again. In the end, fear had gotten the best of her. Musashi hadn't said anything, but he knew her reason for not watching the rest.

"It's okay. Take your time," Sena swallowed hard, "but I'm positive I will see Shizuka in the audience. I will be waiting for that day."

A gentle breeze blew by, swaying the trees. Brushing a strand of hair behind her ear, Shizuka's lip wavered. As absurd as it may seem, Sena reminded her of Hiruma. A lot. She lowered herself onto her knees and stretched her hands out. Bending his knees in order to be at eye level with her, he tentatively locked hands with her, entwining his fingers with hers.

"I'll try only because you believe in me. But, I'm not making any promises," she said.

"As long as you try, that's all that matters."

Just like Sena, Hiruma had believed in Shizuka and that's why she became manager. She failed since all her efforts were made not for herself, but for him. Whether she would fail again would be determined through her measure of willpower. Before, it was very low. However, at this very moment, the measuring gauge was itching to reach a higher echelon. Knowing someone trusted in her strength, it slightly alleviated the fear in her. Although Hiruma and the others also trusted her, something was different about Sena. Shizuka pressed her forehead against his, causing Sena's body to stiffen. Recovering from the brief shock, he relaxed. Eyes closed, they stayed like that.

_I think Shizuka will overcome her problems. She's not weak. I know that because Hiruma chose her. _Pulling his head away, Sena opened his eyes and smiled. She didn't return it, but that was better than pretending to smile. Coercing yourself into thinking your happy would be disregarding that you're sad. The first step in becoming stronger is to realize that you are not satisfied with your current self. Nishihara Shizuka was far from satisfied.

* * *

Before returning to the team, Sena and her exchanged cell phone numbers. Even after arriving at the airport, Sena could not grasp the fact that he was leaving Japan and on such short notice too. He hadn't brought a single belonging with him, not even a change of clothes. To his great fortune, Mamori had done some packing for him. Looking out the window as the airplane ascended from the runway, the flare path flashed orange, appearing as glowing flower buds. As the plane reached a higher altitude, Sena realized that someone had arranged the runway lights in order to form the shape of a flower.

"How stunning!" Mamori exclaimed.

"Whoa! Who did that?" Monta rose from his seat to get a better view.

Sena glanced over at Hiruma, who was fast asleep.

_Wonder what will happen while I'm gone. _He placed a hand over the pocket where his phone was. _Shizuka, see you soon. _

The flight would be a painstaking twelve hours: eight hours of rest and four hours of entertaining yourself to prevent boredom. Mamori handed him a blanket and had a flight attendant bring him an extra pillow to ensure comfort. He had politely refused the blindfold that was offered to him. Headphones on, he watched a movie playing across the screen installed in the seat in front of him. His eyes drooped now and then until he finally fell asleep.

The Wild Gunmen were seated far behind Deimon. Rubbing his studded chin, Kid was checking all his unanswered calls, counting up to twenty in a span of three months. Tetsuma popped his head up from the seat in front of Kid. Testuma didn't say anything, but Kid understood. After knowing each other for thirteen years, they didn't need to use words to communicate.

"I'm fine," Kid assured, putting his phone away.

Tetsuma did not react.

The ray of light piercing threw the crack between the wall and the window shades stirred Sena in his sleep. Wincing at the intensity, his eyes fluttered open. It was daylight. Jolting to the window, he pulled up the shade, forgetting about the others who were still fast asleep. Everyone groaned at the sudden brightness. Sena gaped when land became visible. Monta, Kurita, and Komusubi crowded around the window to get a view, marveling at the sight.

They were in America.

After the landing, the first place they hit was the beach. As much as he did not mind sunshine, Hiruma's top priority was to pay a visit to the shooting range. Sena tagged along in order to speak to Hiruma privately. In the end, Monta came too. While Hiruma purchased some firearms, the two practiced some shots. Not surprisingly, neither of them could hit the target. Another thing that was not so surprising was meeting Kid and the coach from Wild Gunmen. They weren't gunmen for no reason. Due to an order from the coach, Kid demonstrated what topnotch shooting was.

"This is what I call a man!" Coach shouted, firing his own guns. "–got herself a true man!" The gunshot drowned out the name.

Kid shook his head at his coach's behavior. As if guns have any relations to masculinity.

"Where did _she_ go? And where is _he_?"

"He went to look for her," Kid said, firing one last bullet at the target.

Examining the five perfect holes punctured through the target, Hiruma cackled. _What a coincidence to see him here. _"Topnotch shooting. That's the strongest certificate of pedigree."

Disposing of the empty shells, Kid tipped his hat and headed for the exit. "I abandoned my register five years ago. Now I'm just a nameless shitty brat. Just a mere kid." And like a dust in the wind, he vanished through the swinging doors. The doors swung on its hinges, going back and forth much like the swings Shizuka was constantly on.

_Hmn, Kid and Shizuka? _Out of nowhere, Sena grouped those two together. He saw Kid again at the beach and they formed the Devil Gunmen to participate in the Beach Football Competition. With the aide of Tetsuma and Hiruma, they won the grand prize and through a series of events that followed, Deimon met Sakaki Doburoku and they all headed to the Ben Ranch. Snacking on a bag of chips, Sena felt his phone vibrate against his thigh. He immediately answered.

"Shizuka!"

"You sound cheerful. Did something happen?"

"You called. That's why," he mumbled timidly, covering his mouth as everyone else looked at him. "Um, we're with the Wild Gunmen right now. We're staying at their ranch."

"Seibu? How did you meet them?"

Sena took the next fifteen minutes telling her everything that happened, from the bizarre match with the Sexy Queens to meeting Doburoku. At one point, Monta grabbed the phone and began boasting about how he teamed up with Tetsuma to form the "golden team". She didn't buy it. Mamori even joined in to talk to her, telling her to take care of herself and not to eat any cream puffs behind her back. Winning his phone back, Sena resumed their conversation.

Kid watched the scene unfold with a keen eye. Loosening the handkerchief around his neck, he wiped droplets of sweat from his face. Hiruma cast him a knowing smirk, causing him to frown. Kid did not know the Devil Bat's quarterback very well or the team in general since the team had only formed this year. He learned a few things from the American game, but it did not suffice. It would appear though, that Hiruma knew him. _As I thought. When things go too well, they never end well._ Kid had a sense of foreboding that he'd be seeing Yoichi Hiruma around more.

"It sounds like you've had a lot of fun," Shizuka said.

"Yeah. It would've been nice if you came too. We could've played beach football together."

"I appreciate the thought. You might as well enjoy yourself while you're there."

The cargo truck started to pull up to the ranch.

"We made it to the ranch. I'll call you tonight, 'kay?"

International calls were expensive, but Sena didn't want to rush the conversation because of that. He would have to apologize to his parents about the phone fees later. The phone bill left his mind when his eyes rested on the ranch. A field of green stretched across hundreds of acres, where stables and farm houses were built. In order to reach the ranch, one had to cross over a crystal clear creek. Such a scenery couldn't be found in Tokyo. There was more to goggle at when people began to prepare a barbeque.

Monta wore a love sick expression as he watched Mamori slice some vegetables. Tasting her cooking was nothing new to Sena. Although Mamori's cooking was beyond amazing, he was more excited to try Shizuka's cooking. He had eaten the sweet potatoes she baked, but anyone could do that. No offense to Shizuka, of course. Assisting the others, the food was ready by the afternoon and everyone gathered to eat. It was a humble feast they had. Biting into a shish kebab, the juice of the meat spilled into Sena's mouth.

"Max flavor!"

Monta was shoving down three shish kebabs. That was nothing compared to the amounts Kurita was consuming.

"Exercise makes food taste better," Sena chimed in.

Food tastes better with an empty stomach. It also tastes better when you eat with people. Shizuka had been living in a tent for approximately three months; rarely, did she ever eat with someone. She had told him her basic diet when moving into a tent: boxed lunches at the convenient store and instant noodles. She never said it herself, but Sena knew she was lonely. It was one of the major reasons why she didn't mind him, a stranger at the time, to come and visit her.

_The feeling of being alone, huh. _Up until only a few months ago, Mamori was Sena's only friend. It was by accident that he stumbled upon the football team. Had Jumonji and his pals wanted to beat him up at another location that time, he would not have been formally acquainted with Kurita. Had he not met Kurita, he wouldn't have met Hiruma. If he hadn't met Hiruma, he wouldn't be where he was today. He wouldn't have met Shin, Panther, or Shizuka.

His heart tightened.

Being alone truly was a sad thing.

"Sena? What's up?" Monta asked, ripping a piece of meat from the skewer.

Touching his face, Sena realized he was crying. He sniffed the snot back into his nose.

"Did you eat something bad?" Only Monta was capable of asking such a dumb question.

* * *

Kid walked behind one of the stables, his boots shuffling the grass. Placing a bucket on the ground, he twisted the faucet and water poured into it. A lot of interesting events had taken place today and if it weren't for Deimon, he would have been stuck trying to find a way to bring the bull to the ranch. When things go too smoothly, they never end well. Luckily, this wasn't the case and the day ended on a good note.

From around the corner, Yosuke Iseri, a safety of the Wild Gunmen, came over.

"Coach gave you cleaning duty too?" Iseri queried, hanging a saddle over the fence. "Or are you just in the mood?"

"In the mood I suppose," Kid replied, turning off the faucet. Carrying the bucket, he entered one the compartments in the stable, where a mare rested. He ushered the mare to the back corner and he began to brush her. Grooming a horse before made the process of bathing it easier. Iseri came in with a box of cleaning equipment: towels, sponges, and shampoo.

"You know, I overheard some of the guests talking about Shizuka-san," Iseri said after a while. "Think it's the same person we know?" When Kid remained silent, he continued. "I hope so. No one's gotten in contact with her for months." Tetsuma appeared at the doorway. "I'll finish this up, Kid. Coach probably needs you."

Kid left with Tetsuma. Crossing the field, they saw Sena heading in their direction. He was on his phone again. Sena stopped to bow. Kid raised his hand, signaling that it was not necessary. Passing each other, Kid heard a part of the conversation.

"You're not eating instant noodles again, are you?" Sena teased.

"Not tonight. I had soba with a friend."

The voice on the other end sounded familiar. It was soft and elegant.

Ceasing in his footsteps, Kid furrowed his brows. _So it is the same Shizuka. As I thought, things were going too well. _He looked back at Sena._ I guess it's no surprise since she goes to the same school. _He wasn't too bewildered by the situation, just mildly curious. Kid and Shizuka were not very open towards one another despite what others thought. They had attended Seibu Middle School together, but then for some odd reason, she decided to go to Deimon High. He never asked her why since their relationship never went beyond classmates. It was only until last summer he had gotten to know her.

After reaching a dislocated area, Sena sat down on the grass.

"It should be around noon in Tokyo, right?" Sena said.

"That's right. Today's weather is good for gardening."

"Gardening?"

"I work part time at a flower shop," Shizuka clarified. "I need to get money somewhere, you know."

"That's true. Make sure you wear sun screen to prevent sunburn," he warned.

She laughed. "I will. Well, it must be late over there. I shouldn't keep you up for too long."

"I don't mind. I'll probably be back in a week..."

"Then I will wait for your return." The pitch of her voice dropped to a soothing whisper.

"Me too! I mean...I look forward to coming back." Sena bid her a goodnight before hanging up. Falling onto his back, he faced the endless abyss that was the sky. Hands behind his head, he heaved a heavy sigh. _How long will we be staying here? I don't think Hiruma-san brought us here just for vacation. _Connecting the stars to form some sort of demented figure, Sena spotted a star in the far right. It was by itself. Despite that, it was the twinkling the brightest out of the rest.

* * *

Les Fleurs was the flower shop Shizuka worked at every summer. Located in a peaceful yet active neighborhood, it was owned by half French and half Japanese man. He was a passionate and fair shop keeper, who appreciated the beauty of flowers above all. His love for flowers made him the number one florists in Tokyo. His main task was caring for the store and to nurture flowers while Shizuka had the honor of delivering them. When he was too busy, she would water the plants. However, her involvement with flowers never involved planting them or arranging them. The manager didn't want any of his employees to damage the flowers.

Carefully watering the sunflowers on display outside, she made sure the pressure of the hose accommodated the strength of the soil. Last time she had drowned the flowers. That was a cut in her paycheck. She never complained about meeting up to the consequences. The manager was nit picky about many things, but it was for his love of flowers. That aspect of him was admirable. Accidentally pushing too hard on the handle, the water pressure increased. Turning the hose away, she accidentally blasted water at two passerby. She released the hose, sending it wiggling relentlessly on the ground, spraying herself in the process. She managed to turn off the hose and went to see the damage she had caused.

The two strangers were soaked.

"I'm sorry! I'll go get towels!"

"Nah, it's fine. That was refreshing!" One of them grinned. "Spray me again if you want!"

"A towel would be great," the other said, squeezing the water from his shirt.

Shizuka went inside and got them towels. Running over to them, she had to stretch her hands above the level of shoulder since they were incredibly tall.

"Again, I'm sorry...uh..."

"Mizumachi. And that intimidating one over there is Kakei." The wild blond shook hands with her. He hadn't taken the towel she offered him. Instead, he took off his tank top and swung it around until it was rung dry. He was a very energetic guy.

Clearing his throat, Kakei cast the towel over his head, ruffling the drenched stands. "You don't mind if I keep the towel, do you? I will properly return it another time."

"Go ahead!" Shizuka insisted.

"Then we must be on our way. Mizumachi, put your clothes on," said Kakei once he was finished wiping his feet.

As they walked away, Shizuka caught a glimpse of what was inside Mizumachi's dufflebag. Protruding out of his bag was a football helmet. From their height, those two would make terrific linemen. This was not to say that a short athlete would not make a skillful lineman, but height could offer athletes a great advantage in tackling. Shizuka scolded herself when her mind wandered into football. _Enough about football. That's all in the past. _Coiling the garden hose, she messed up one of the loops. _It's all in the past...isn't it? _

Sena's voice rung in her ears.

_"It's not too late to start over. If anything, you can always find a new dream."_

Frantically shaking her head, she returned to her tasks. After making seven deliveries on bicycle, she finished in the late afternoon with a pair of sore legs. Returning to the playground, she saw someone on the swings. The boy resembled Sena in appearance, but the indubitable difference was the color of his hair. It was white. Upon seeing her, the boy drove the ends of his sneakers into the pavement and stood up. A flood of memories poured into her mind, rattling her heart. No matter how much she tried to detached herself from the past, it kept catching up to her and drowning her.

Kaitani Riku, the runningback of the Wild Gunmen.

It had been three months since she last saw him. Now he stood only three yards away.

"I finally found you, Shizuka-san."

* * *

**Author's Note: **As you have witnessed, Shizuka is connected to many of the canons. Next chapter will shed some light on her relationship with the Wild Gunmen.


	8. Finally Found You

**Author's Note: **The point of view will change many times in here.

* * *

**Chapter Seven: Finally Found You**

"You've been living in a tent?" Riku deadpanned.

Shizuka had finished explaining how she was living on her own, surviving off convenient store food and using nearby houses' bathrooms for hygienic matters. It was certainly not a lifestyle suitable for a girl. Riku had been searching all over the Kanto region for her and he even made a trip to Hokkaido. Aiuchi Hina, the leader of the Wild Fannings, had reported to Seibu's team captain, Ushijima, that Shizuka had quit. Since then, Seibu had not seen Shizuka around. Both Riku and Kid tried getting in contact with her, but she ignored their calls every time. With the help of a few people, Riku managed to track her down, but he did not imagine that she'd been camping in a playground for months.

"Couldn't you have gone to a hotel?"

"As if I have the money," Shizuka pouted.

"Why didn't you return our calls?"

She didn't respond.

Quitting the cheerleading squad was one thing, but disappearing for months and not leaving any clues of your whereabouts was another. And, Shizuka usually didn't like to make people worry so something must have happened to cause her to leave so abruptly. And here Riku thought she was happy being with Seibu. Picking up a bag on the ground, he then handed it to her. She stared at it, unmoving. He reached into the bag and pulled out a white cowgirl hat with a black ribbon laced on the brim.

"You left it behind," he said.

"I don't want it."

_Something's up. Kid personally picked out that hat for her. She used to wear it all the time and now she doesn't even want it._ Digging into the bag once more, Riku showed her an envelope sealed with dry wax. Imprinted in the wax was the picture of a cowgirl boot; it was the symbol of the Wild Fannings. She looked away. Riku clicked his tongue against his teeth. She wouldn't even accept a letter that her former teammates wrote her. Shizuka clenched onto the chains of the swings, her veins pulsing. She did miss Hina and the others, but she had an idea of what the content of the letter was and couldn't bring herself to read it. Riku put the hat and letter back into the bag.

"I'll be leaving for America to meet back with everyone," he said. "I can tell that you won't be coming with me."

"I'm waiting for someone and I can't leave until I see them again."

"Someone?" He leaned forward with interest.

"Yes, someone important," Shizuka clarified. "Don't misunderstand. Kid is too, but I can't see him. At least not now."

_At least she still thinks about the team._ Riku felt a bit reassured. He had an inkling as to what may have triggered her departure, but it was something Shizuka and Kid had to resolve on their own. Even if he wanted to help, it didn't seem like she was accepting any from him. He had no place for meddling, but he wanted to know who this "someone" she was referring to.

"I'm going to tell them that I found you so they can stop worrying," Riku stated, taking the bag. "I'll be going."

Once he was gone, her shoulders tensed. Clutching a fistful of her dress, her eyes burned into her lap. At first, she wanted to run off when she saw Riku, but now a part of her wished he could have stayed to keep her company. Everyone was training for the Autumn Tournament and she wasn't going to bother any of them just so she could stop feeling lonely. She had to sort out her issues and become stronger in her own way for the coming fall.

_"It's not too late to start over. If anything, you can always find a new dream." _

Jumping off the swing, she headed for Deimon High School. The school gates were closed, but she climbed over them. All the staff members were on vacation so no one was going to catch her. Running to the sports field, it felt like forever since the last time she stood on that grass. Setting a timer on her phone, she positioned herself on the starting mark. It had been nearly two years since the last time she timed herself on the forty-yard dash.

* * *

It was the second morning of Deimon's training camp in America. They were at the airplane terminal, waiting to board the plane. Mamori was already inside, watching the team stand in a line as Doburoku spoke to them. Gulping down his sake, Doburoku announced their options: return to Japan for a fun summer vacation or go to Hell with the Devil Bats for forty days. Sena recalled the conversation Hiruma and Doburoku shared the previous night, where Doburoku objected to the Death March. Sena did not want to receive an injury that would ruin his athletic career nor miss out on the festivals that would take place in Tokyo. However, the will to become stronger, once again, tugged at his heart. He did not want the results of the Spring Tournament to repeat itself. The way he was now, he could not defeat Shin.

Sena gaped in amazement as Monta tore up his ticket. Then came Yukimitsu and everyone from the line.

_With this, the Devil Bats are going to train with their full strength. I want to fight too. I also want to win. _Sena wrinkled the edge of his ticket, his fingers preparing themselves. _Shizuka, I know I told you to wait, but what will waiting do? Waiting isn't going to do anything for either of us! Take your time? There's only forty days until the Fall Tournament; we don't have time to waste. _Ripping the ticket in half, he stepped over the line.

"Kobayakawa Sena, number twenty-one. My position is runningback!"

"Ya-Ha!" Hiruma fired into the air.

The Devil Bats were going to reach the Christmas Bowl.

Stopping for lunch at Footers, Sena was verbally tackled by the Ha-Ha Brothers. Getting a ketchup bottle shoved into his face, he attempted to shush them. Everyone knew his identity except for Mamori, who was speaking with the restaurant's manager. He wondered when she would figure it out or when he would tell her even though Hiruma told him not to. His phone rumbled in his pocket. It was not a signal of an incoming call; it was a signal that his batteries died.

_That's right! I need to tell Shizuka not to wait! _Sena pulled at his hair when he remembered he didn't have a phone charger. Would Shizuka be waiting for his return for forty days? He loosened his grip on his hair and his hands dropped to the table. _No, I'm certain that right now...Shizuka...is doing her best. She may be waiting for me not because she's lonely though. But, because she's waiting to tell me how much she would have excelled by then. I'm sure of it. _

Typing away on his laptop, Hiruma watched Sena put his phone away. "Finally realized it? You're not leaving Shizuka in the dirt; you're making her run through it."

* * *

"What took you so long, Riku?" Ushijima laughed, patting him on the back. Riku recently arrived at the Ben Ranch, having missed Deimon. The team was taking a break from training, chowing down on burgers and fries. Flipping patties with a pair of tongs, Ushijima asked him how he wanted his meat cooked. Well-done was how Riku liked it.

"I found Shizuka-san."

"You did? That's awesome!" Ushijima handed him a burger, topped with rings of pineapples and smothered in teriyaki sauce. "This is Shizuka's favorite. Give it to her for me."

"I found her, but she didn't come," Riku said.

Kid happened to pass by and Ushijima called him over.

"Did you hear that? Shizuka didn't come. What is that girl doing?" Ushijima exclaimed. "Here, you eat this." He gave Kid the burger. Plopping more patties onto the grill, he rapidly clipped the tongs together. Knowing that Riku found her set Ushijima at ease, but hearing that she didn't come pissed him off to a greater extent.

Picking up the burger, the sauce oozed onto Kid's fingers. Biting into it, he watched Ushijima grumble to himself. Riku finally got his burger after his senpai stopped talking. Ushijima had a habit of babbling and others had the habit of not listening to him. Swallowing the last bite, Kid cringed at the sudden sweetness of the pineapple. Going to wash his hands, Kid motioned for Riku to tag along. As they went to find an outdoor sink, Riku told him about his encounter with Shizuka, who he managed to find with the help of a member from the Bando Spiders.

After drying his hands, Kid draped the towel over his shoulder.

"She's living in a tent?" he asked, checking to see if he heard wrong.

"A tent in a playground."

That was a sight he wanted to witness for himself. He knew Shizuka since middle school. "Knew" as in he knew her name and that was about it. Even after building their relationship last summer, she never struck him as the kind of person who would be as silly as to live in a tent. Given her financial situation, there wasn't much she could do, but why a tent? Shizuka had many friends scattered all over Tokyo; she could have stayed with one of them.

"Do you think she'll come back?" Riku decided to ask.

Kid shrugged.

"If Shizuka-san doesn't want to then she doesn't have to."

It was uncommon for Kid to speak with such an icy tone. There were only a few things that ticked him off; the number one button not to press was his childhood friend. Riku was not sure if Shizuka was one of those provoking buttons, but with Kid's sudden cold demeanor, maybe she was. It had been a while since he heard Kid refer to Shizuka with an honorific. If memory served him correctly, when Riku spoke to Shizuka, she did not attach an honorific to Kid's name.

* * *

Thin slices of beef were laid over a yakiniku grill. Shizuka fanned at the smoke emitting from the grill while Koutaro practiced his kicks at three o'clock in the morning. Shizuka brought the portable grill to their school after receiving a lively call from Koutaro. He'd been training the whole day and wanted her to bring him a snack. Shizuka's idea of a snack was a tad obscured, but Koutaro didn't mind. He loved meat. Sending the football through the goal post, he combed back his hair.

"That's smart!" Koutaro snapped his comb shut and went over to Shizuka.

"It's not smart. It's three in the morning," Juri chimed in.

"Not smart? Shizuka's unsmart for living in a tent," he countered.

Koutaro had a habit of picking on her about that. He didn't know her reason nor did he really want to. It was her business and he was allowed to tease her about it. Who wouldn't? Juri shook her head at his comment before sitting on the grass that bordered the track. Shizuka and Koutaro had the tendency to make fun of each other with no ill intent whatsoever; it was all for kicks. They were always teasing each other, even when they first met. It was only by accident that Koutaro and Juri met her at the riverbank last summer.

Stuffing himself with barbecued meat, Koutaro pointed his chopsticks at Shizuka.

"This year the kick team will win!"

"You have a lot of competition," Shizuka warned, fanning herself.

"We'll defeat anyone who gets in our way. So whatever team you're part of, they better be ready."

This struck a chord in Shizuka. Koutaro noticed the sudden change and began combing his hair frantically. It was rare for her to react this way and he did not know how to handle the situation. He looked to Juri for advice. She had no clue either. Cramming a ton of beef into his mouth, he poured a bottle of yakiniku sauce to mix with it.

"This is awesome! Shizuka sure can cook," he managed to muffle out.

Juri smacked herself in the forehead.

Swallowing the clump of food, he pounded his chest to help it go down. To his relief, Shizuka smiled a little. She began to load the grill. He crouched down across from her and helped. Sighing, Juri joined the two morons and helped herself to some food. They chatted about what it was like to live in a tent. When Shizuka said she wanted to be adventurous, they called her silly. There was no need for her to tell them the real reason. Koutarou used the last bit of the sauce and Juri whacked him across the head with the empty bottle.

Out of nowhere, he got onto his feet and shouted, "Please go out with me!"

"Yeah, yeah. Now stop saying stupid things!" Juri dismissed him with a wave of her hand.

Kotarou went to practice some more afterward. This was the second time he'd asked her out. Both instances was when Shizuka was around. Although Juri never agreed, she never rejected him either. Shizuka believed that the only reason why Juri wouldn't say "yes" was because she didn't want to distract him from football. That was what made her such a strong manager. How it reminded Shizuka of her days with Deimon.

"Say, has anyone ever confessed to you?" Juri asked.

"Don't be silly," Shizuka chuckled.

"Oh? So no boyfriends?"

"Not necessarily." Shizuka folded her hands together, grinning slyly.

* * *

"I'm not going," Mamori stated. "Please hold your knee still."

Mamori and Hiruma were in a secluded area by the truck. She had left the others to check on his muscle pains. All the newcomers, excluding her, were convinced that Hiruma had no trouble running the Death March while carrying such heavy gear. What Hiruma had no trouble doing was masking his own struggles from the team. Wrapping the cooling bandage around his knee, she could not knot it when Hiruma began to wobble his leg. She managed to secure the bandage after a few attempts.

"Geez, you're so stubborn. You could learn a few things from Shizuka," Mamori scoffed.

"Ke ke ke ke! Learn from flower girl?" Hiruma could have burst into tears at her humorous words if he weren't so exhausted.

"I guess you're right." Mamori cleaned up the First-Aid Kit. She had to admit, Shizuka was not the best role model. In her own way, Shizuka was also stubborn. She never really took anyone's advice and kept her problems to herself even when her friends wanted to help. It was due to her obstinate nature that caused her to break in the end. Even then, her friends still tried to help her, but then she stopped attending school. Mamori could not help Shizuka if she couldn't even find her. "Do you think she'll be alright?"

Hiruma blew a bubble. After reaching a certain size, it popped, splattering all over his mouth. Sucking the gum back in, he continued to chew. _A lot has happened since that spring. It's up to fucking flower girl to decide what she wants to do. _The fact that Shizuka finally came out of "hiding" meant she was preparing for the second step. That second step was to come to terms with football. Would she continue to sulk about that incident or would she move on?

Sena eavesdropped from his spot at the front of the truck. _Shizuka will be alright. Definitely. _Throwing a pebble up and down, he missed it and it landed with a thud. Hiruma and Mamori looked towards his direction. That was Sena's cue to get out of there.

* * *

Riku just got out of the shower. Passing the living room, he saw Ushijima shouting at his phone. Iseri was there too, trying to calm him down. Apparently, Ushijima had called Shizuka twenty times, but she wouldn't pick up. He probably wanted to hear why she didn't come to Texas. Hanging the towel around his neck, Riku watched Ushijima badmouth her again, calling her ungrateful and inconsiderate. It wasn't anything anyone hadn't heard before, including Shizuka.

"Why hasn't Kid done anything? Doesn't he care?" Ushijima fumed, flinging his arms into the air.

"Ushijima-san...Kid-san has his own way of handling things," Riku finally said, "and so does Shizuka."

The team captain dropped his arms to his side and relaxed. Riku knew he was just worried about her. The whole team would be together again soon and no one would have to worry anymore. Ushijima's phone rang all of a sudden. He received a message from Shizuka. It read: "Please stop bothering me. You're so inconsiderate."

Steam shot out of Ushijima's ears. "Who is she calling inconsiderate?"

Iseri laughed. That was the old Shizuka, always butting heads with Ushijima for fun.

Going back into the hallway, Riku saw Kid leaning against the wall.

"Kid-san?"

"They seem very lively in there," Kid chuckled.

"A lot of energy after long day of practice." Riku didn't dislike the small talk, but he had a feeling Kid wasn't here just to chat, especially not this late in the night. "Kid-san...just so you know, Shizuka seemed to be doing well, despite her circumstances."

He'd hit the jackpot.

Kid smiled slightly and almost sadly. Hearing that was enough.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Next chapter will be another side story, another insight to the past.


End file.
